


What is Up to Mortals

by Denebola_Leo



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: A lot of death too, Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, And Gods being dramatic, Deities, Drama, Eventual Romance, Gen, Genesis too because he is drama personified, Necromancy, Priestess!Aerith, Shapeshifting, Slow Burn, Suspense, Tifa doesn't know what's going on, Zack is forever the puppy, and their followers, lots of magic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-18
Updated: 2019-08-16
Packaged: 2019-08-25 09:30:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 62,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16658582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Denebola_Leo/pseuds/Denebola_Leo
Summary: Five hundred years ago, the god of death, Sephiroth, went mad and joined forces with the god of destruction. He mysteriously disappeared, and the Espers, warrior followers of the gods, still hunt for traces of his worship today. This finds Zack, Angeal and Genesis in a tough spot as they begin to command the attention of the god of death himself when they meddle with what they should not...





	1. To Nibelheim

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah I know, I have an assload of stories to finish and this one's been on the hard drive for a long while before I decided to test out the waters with one chapter. I have no idea how it'll be received or if it's in character for Angeal and Genesis because I just don't know them that well. Also, thanks to Marle_Nadia for looking over the chapters!

"So, we're off to Nibelheim, huh?" Zack scratched absentmindedly at his cheek with a finger.

Angeal nodded. "There was a sighting of a possible necromancer there."

"And if there's a necromancer, perhaps we will find that dark and terrible god, Sephiroth," Genesis remarked with a dramatic flair.

Zack looked about Gongaga's town square as they stood outside the church that honored not only the creator goddess Minerva, but one of her many children, Ramuh. Just like most of the other gods, he was thought to roam the Planet to tend to his duties. It was also believed he would come in one form or another during feasts and festival days honoring him; occasionally a storm swept by during his worship ceremony in the white stone church, a sign to the devout that he watched.

As he glanced at a stain glass window of Ramuh throwing bolts of lightning at one of the four gods that had fought against Minerva's loyal children, Zack thought back to the beginning of his journey as an Esper. Espers were the champions of individual deities, and given powers most humans were not capable of wielding. In this day and age, they were to find any dark cultists that worshiped the four blotted gods and put an end to their vile acts.

Most people in the modern age took little notice of them. It wasn't an irreligious age so much as one focused upon scientific progress, and deities and magic took a backseat to that. People still honored the mostly quiet gods, whether they believed in them or not. Espers were just seen as humans with rare materia.

Their other duty was to find the god of death, Sephiroth, who had mysteriously disappeared five hundred years ago after joining ranks with the Infernal Lord of Destruction, Abyssion. One god had done so, and three underling deities he had been given charge of from Abyssion had been sealed away. There were no records of anyone being sent to stop Sephiroth.

"Isn't that supposed to be where he's based at?" Zack asked as he turned back towards the other two, his boots scraping the pavement and shuffling the fabric of his dark pants. "Why not just keep Espers there and wait for him to show up?"

Angeal sighed. "Because the castle has been checked multiple times for him and each time, no one was there, pup."

"It would be a waste of resources. But now, we have a possible lead. A necromancer hasn't been spotted in years, and one in Nibelheim of all places? It had been centuries..." Genesis responded. He straightened out his rust colored leather vest. "Mark my words, this is no coincidence. I bet he's mustering up his followers to begin his revolt against Creation again."

Zack put his hands behind his head. "Then let's go already!" He turned towards their vehicle and took a few strides towards it.

"He's such an impatient sort," Genesis remarked.

Angeal chuckled, and put his fists on his hips, straddling the area between his dark blue jeans and blue-grey work shirt. "He is an Esper of Fenrir, after all."

The red head huffed. "Strength and loyalty." He moved his head to look at his friend. "Alexander is patient and holy, but your protege honors a hyper wolf god," he teased lightly.

"And you pal around with us both, mister high and mighty," Angeal retorted.

They began walking towards the vehicle as Zack fidgeted from foot to foot. "Phoenix blesses all with Her flames of renewal," Genesis responded.

Angeal had decided to take the driver's seat, claiming his friends were far too reckless on the road. Zack called out shotgun, and soon they were on their way towards Nibelheim. The car was quiet except for the radio and Zack's hand patting his knee in time with the beat. The landscape grew drier, and rocks sporting various shades of earthy browns and red became more common. Emerald grass gave way to dusty, compact dirt and spindly weeds.

Genesis looked up from his book, and turned to the back of Zack's spiky black head. "You've never been to Nibelheim, have you, Zachary?"

Zack looked behind him, his indigo eyes vibrant even in the shade of the car. "Nope. What's it like?"

Angeal sighed, and rubbed his eye with a gloved hand. "I told you, didn't I?"

"Just that it was Sephiroth's former place of worship, and that it's a quiet place."

Genesis nodded. "It is rather deary, in the shadow of Mount Nibel and the castle formed from the very rocks atop it."

Zack scratched at his hair. "So, do the citizens there worship Sephiroth, or what?"

The red head hummed, then placed his book on his lap. "No, but some still see him in a slightly favorable light. It is probably from the older legends and his duty before he revolted."

"I can't really blame them, when a god is part of your culture. That would sting," Angeal replied as he continued to drive down the road. "Even if it was a god of death and the restless dead."

"And people worshiped that?" Zack asked incredulously, turning his head towards his teacher.

"Yes, but death is a part of life. Sephiroth also imprisoned and soothed the restless dead, until the day he used them as his army against creation."

"That sounds kinda strange."

Angeal nodded slowly. "Well, what one can spirit away, one can also unleash upon the world," he replied blandly.

"Which is why this necromancer sighting is so important," Genesis said. "Whether they found a relic of Sephiroth's or they have become an Esper of his, it needs taken care of."

A relic. Zack leaned into his seat and stared out at the barren expanse in front of him. Deities had minor relics that could be given as a small token to a follower or Esper, or a greater object that granted god-like powers to the wielder. Those were said to be held only by a most favored mortal.

He fingered his own, a little brass talisman in the shape of a wolf's head with a light purple orb in its mouth. A small taste of Fenrir's might was contained within the bauble. The three of them each had a talisman gifted by their god after successfully completing their geas. With each came unique abilities.

"So," he began as he brought his hand back down to his lap. "What happens if we find Sephiroth? I don't think we have anything on us powerful enough to seal him away."

"Not to the extent the other three had been, no. But, a temporary seal until we can is within our abilities," Genesis said as he reopened his book and looked down to read it.

"A death god sounds pretty powerful," Zack said offhandedly. "Should be a hell of a fight."

Angeal's shoulders stiffened. "It's something we're going to proceed with very carefully, pup."

"Mhm. It would be best if any violence was saved for an uninhabited area," Genesis replied from the back seat.

"I know that!" Zack looked at his partners, then back out the window. "Just sayin'."

They were quiet for most of the trip to Cosmo Canyon, stopping for the evening when they reached the town. Zack had never been to this location before, and he took note of the sacred fire in the town's center. A church had been carved out of the rocks nearby, and Angeal pointed at it.

"They honor Ifrit here. That fire is the sacred Cosmo Candle, and it's said to keep monsters and demons away," Angeal explained.

"Ifrit, huh?" Zack looked the church face up and down. It had detailed carvings over its surface. "Man, this blows Ramuh's church out of the water!"

"The people here were protected by the onslaught from Nibelheim when Sephiroth unleashed his hordes upon the Planet. His purifying flames kept back the wave of misery that threatened Cosmo Canyon, and he fought against Kadaj and his spirits of pestilence."

"Just like Fenrir fought Loz, right?"

Angeal nodded. "Some of their greatest feats."

Genesis walked towards them as they spoke. "I've acquired our lodging for the night. We should retire soon, so we can get a head start early tomorrow."

* * *

"Are we there yet?"

Genesis rolled his eyes. "No, Zachary."

"Angeal, let Genesis drive. You're goin' too slow."

Angeal glared at his student. "We'll get there soon."

Zack looked about the landscape. They were driving up a hill, and the peaks of purple mountains were peeking from the crest. "You mean by nightfall."

Angeal was silent until they reached the top of the hill, and a large, quiet looking town came into view. "There it is."

"Oh. Well, finally!"

They arrived an hour later, and Zack immediately noticed upon leaving the car that the sun felt so much weaker here than in Cosmo Canyon and Gongaga. He wondered if it was just because of the area or because this used to be a village to a god of darkness. Zack watched as Genesis went to inquire about an inn room, then followed Angeal towards a pale stone church in the form of a very large crypt. There was a sprinkling of moss here and there, and it felt like a place of respite from the living world.

Zack scratched the back of his head as he studied a worn carved figure of a cloaked being holding a scythe. "Kinda unsettling for a church," he remarked.

"And yet, peaceful. Just like death should be, don't you think?" Angeal chuckled dryly, then looked back at the sturdy oak door. "This is just a church to Minerva now. Anything that specifically mentioned Sephiroth or the other three gods were destroyed or converted to something else." He walked towards the door.

Zack made a face as he followed behind. "We have to go into this creepy place?"

"The new priestess here saw the alleged necromancer. I'd like to talk to her before we go off searching for them."

"Ah, right." They entered into the church. The inside held wooden pews and weak colored light from the narrow windows. Zack noticed a woman in a simple white dress and soft brown boots standing by the pulpit. She had long chestnut hair and emerald green eyes, and she smiled as she walked towards them.

"Hello! You're the Espers I requested, it's nice to meet you!" She gave a short bow. "My name is Aerith."

"Oh, you could tell we're Espers?" Most people couldn't tell the difference between a normal person and an Esper.

She nodded, and gave a sassy wink of her eye to Zack. "Of course I can. I'm a little sensitive, you could say." Aerith put her hands together in front of her chest, and cocked her head to the side. "But, that doesn't mean I can read minds or anything like that. So, you'll still need to tell me your names."

Zack chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck. "My name's Zack."

"I'm Angeal," the elder Esper said.

Aerith nodded. "People like me are kinda rare, they say. We can feel things like Espers do, without being identified as one." Her mood shifted to something a little more serious and somber, and she looked up at Angeal. "Which is also why I could feel something off about this woman who lives in town."

Angeal crossed his arms and raised a brow. "Tell us more, please."

She put her hands down to her side, and motioned for them to sit on the front pew. Angeal humored her while Zack continued to stand, hands on his hips. Aerith blinked a few times as she looked up at the arched ceiling of the church, then after a few moments looked down at Angeal.

"I've only been here a few weeks, you see. After the last priest died, I suppose the church in Midgar decided it was time I tended my own church." She rubbed the fabric of her dress with her fingers. "There is a woman in town who has the most...off feeling about her. Outwardly she seems normal, but I've caught her visiting one of the cemeteries near the base of Mount Nibel on various occasions. I wouldn't think much of it, but she's even gone at night!

"I never get too close to her when she goes up there. But, she runs a bar in town. Maybe you could sleuth a bit at her establishment." Aerith shrugged.

Zack hummed. "We could go tonight. Wanna come with us?" he offered with a playful smirk. She smiled back, and feigned shyness with a hand over her mouth.

Angeal ignored his protege's flirting. "What does she look like?"

The priestess returned her gaze to the older Esper. "Long dark hair, reddish eyes. Um, she's large chested, too."

"I see." He stood up and nodded. "Thank you, Aerith. We'll take it from here."

"Wait, that's it?" Zack pouted, looking between the two.

Aerith giggled. "I'll still be in town if you wanna talk later."

Zack gave a quick, firm nod. "You bet I do!" He turned to Angeal. "Let's go get this necromancer!"

Aerith gave the name of the establishment the supposed necromancer tended in the afternoons and evenings. They bid her farewell, and went off to find Genesis. The red head was patiently waiting by the inn, his back leaning against the stone wall as he read from his small, leather-bound book. He glanced upwards as Zack and Angeal walked up to him.

"And what of this necromancer?" he asked. Angeal nodded and gave Genesis what scant information they had on the woman. The red head hummed before closing his book and holding it to his side with an elegant movement. "Perhaps we should make a stop at her establishment after we bring in our luggage, hm?"

Zack shrugged his shoulders, then walked up to the car's trunk. "Sooner the better!"

They went about bringing their suitcases to their room, freshening up in the bathroom after their long journey. They tucked away their talismans on the off chance the supposed necromancer would recognize them; it would be one thing if she was indeed Sephiroth's Esper, but if she wasn't, hunting her down would be no different than the others.

After a few wrong turns and Zack asking for directions from locals, they found the bar. It had just opened if the hours posted on the window were correct, and they let themselves in. A handful of tables were taken up by locals enjoying a pint and a sandwich or some fries. There was a normal looking woman that matched the description Aerith had given watching them from behind the counter, and she smiled at them with her hands behind her back.

"Hello, and welcome to Seventh Heaven! My name is Tifa."

Zack laid on the charm as he walked towards the counter. "Nice to meet ya Tifa, I'm Zack!"

Her smiled stayed the same, but her eyes grew a little weary. "It's nice to meet you too, Zack." She motioned at the bar. "Sit where ever you'd like."

Genesis immediately sat himself at a table near a window, shifting himself into the booth. Angeal, then Zack followed his lead. Tifa walked from behind the counter with several menus that she handed to the trio. "What kind of drinks can I start you out with?"

Angeal shrugged nonchalantly while studying her. "Um, we actually had need of something that I hope you could help us out with."

Tifa studied him with a curious gaze, a fine brow raised. "What would that be?"

Without missing a beat, Genesis finished the request. "We just arrived in Nibelheim, and heard talk of a festival occurring soon."

Her deep red eyes lit up. "The Autumn Festival!"

Angeal nodded. "We're sorry if we're bothering your establishment, but we were wondering if we could talk to you about it."

"Oh." She didn't seem disappointed that they weren't here for drinks. "Well, it's the biggest fling the town has all year. I'll be right back, the organizer dropped off some pamphlets in case anyone wanted them." Tifa went off towards the bar.

Zack was still grinning at her backside when Angeal jabbed his side. The young Esper turned around and frowned. "What?"

Angeal leaned towards him. "Did you see what she was wearing?"

"Did I ever," Zack said with a smile growing on his face. "That shirt is barely holding—"

"The necklace!" his teacher hissed in a whisper.

"Oh. No."

Genesis rolled his eyes. "It was clearly a relic. Couldn't you feel it?" His eyes went to watching Tifa as she rummaged through papers she had hidden under the counter. "I wouldn't doubt she's an Esper, and she can probably feel we are, too," he said in a hushed whisper.

Zack frowned. "She seems pretty nice."

"It's an _act_."

"We'll have to watch her carefully, and make sure she doesn't leave town." Angeal's eyes went towards her as she began to walk towards them again with brochures in her hands. She still seemed wary, her shoulders unnecessarily tense and her eyes studying them closely. Still, she kept her smile up.

Tifa began placing the papers down on the table in front of them, then looked at the three in turn with a nod. "Here you go! And if you ever wanna stop by for drinks in the future, you're always welcome!"

They all gave a nod of their heads. "Thank you, Tifa," Angeal said before collecting a paper and scanning it.

"Alright. If you need anything, just holler." Tifa left them and scampered back behind the counter, taking a rag and cleaning the stony surface while striking up a conversation with another customer. Occasionally, one of the three would notice her eyeing them for just a moment.

Zack looked down at a brochure, then at Angeal. Genesis eyed what was written on the papers. "Quaint little festival they have in these parts..."

They sat there, looking over everything strewn on their table and studying the barmaid as she welcomed customer after customer. At one point it felt as if the life had been drained from the bar, setting the three on edge. Zack had seen Tifa at that moment, holding her necklace with her eyes closed. She opened them again, and he turned his head back.

"I...think we should go. Before she gets more aggressive," Genesis warned.

Angeal nodded, and placed some gil on the table for her troubles earlier. They began their leave, waving when Tifa bid them farewell. As soon as the door shut behind them Zack shuddered.

He dramatically shook his leg. "Whew, that place gave me the heebie-jeebies!"

Angeal grunted. "We'll get some rest, then watch the street when she leaves for the night."

"Isn't she gonna feel our presence?"

Genesis nodded. "She won't know from where...especially if we aren't in a group."

"And that's when we get her, right?"

Angeal hummed. "We want to try to get her away from any populated areas. I suggest we find a place we can funnel her towards that's not around any civilians."

Zack nodded, then rubbed the side of his head. A hostile Esper. "Well, let's get ready then."

The three made their way towards the inn, but not without a wayward glance at the tavern that was slowly filling with customers. Those folks were in danger every moment that woman was here in the town.


	2. Bartender In A Sleepy Town

Up the mountain path once again, the air chill and still and the sky a grey overcast as it almost always was in the autumn. Leaves crunched beneath Tifa's feet as she came up to visit one of the many, lonesome cemeteries of Nibelheim.

She clutched the delicate pendant that hung about her neck. The silvery metal was as cool as the air temperature around her. Her thumb rubbed it lovingly as she walked towards two tombstones in the small field of browning grass and dirty white stone.

Tifa approached the graves and reverently crouched down to her knees in front of them. "Hi, Mom and Dad.

"I've been doing alright. My bar has been doing pretty well..." The air about the cemetery grew heavy, and the sound of birds in the trees vanished. "No, I don't have a boyfriend yet. Maybe if I leave this old town..."

She felt like someone was watching her. It wasn't something particularly alarming, since almost every time she visited the graveyard it felt like someone had their eyes on her. Or several sets of eyes.

Tifa sometimes visited her parents in the evening, and the feeling would be clearer then. She could admit to it being almost overpowering some nights, making her wish to leave from self-consciousness. It was never a hostile feeling, but it could just be too much. It was one of the reasons she dropped by during the day most of the time, the stares were easier on her psyche.

Today, these stares felt like they came from right in front of her.

"I don't know if I should leave. I wanna see the world before I settle down. I know, you both lived here your whole lives, but..." Tifa huffed, then looked up. The castle on the mountain loomed far above her. "I can't live under the shadow of this town forever."

Tifa sat there, slowly closing her eyes and facing the tombstones again. Her hand was still on her strange little amulet. It felt like it was releasing energy into her hand, but she chalked it up to her imagination. She always thought it was special as a little girl, and she supposed that feeling continued subconsciously.

After a few minutes of silent communion with the dead, she rose up and nodded at the graves. Her garnet eyes gazed lovingly at the stones, polished and clean still because of her care. "I'll be back again soon, Mom and Dad. I love you," she whispered under her breath.

She lingered for a few moments, then turned to leave the cemetery. Her hand dropped from her pendant, and she walked past the gate in silence as the air lightened again. A chirp came from overhead in the branches of a tree, then another from somewhere else. A small breeze picked up and carried the smell of dead leaves and moist earth.

Tifa went back down the mountain path and into the town below, ready for another evening of bar drunks and tavern tales. Some day she would leave to see the world beyond this home of respite for the dead, she assured herself. She looked at the town from her place on the trail, the ancient cathedral bell tolling in the distance and her house's dark roof visible even from where she was.

It was such an old place, the rolling foot hills dotted with cemeteries and stoic churches to a quiet goddess. Nibelheim was rarely ever a place of bustling activity, and it was a shame to her. At the very least the autumn festival would put some life into the large town, bringing in tourists and pilgrims who wished to visit one of the defunct shrines at the bottom of Mount Nibel, or to pray at the cathedral in town.

As she entered the town proper, she wondered how much different the world at large was to this backwater locale.

* * *

Tifa looked about at the empty bar. It was almost closing time, and the bar had been empty for a while. She wondered if it would be best to close up and go home, since it was late as it was. And what if those strange men came back for more information? She frowned as she thought back. There was something about them that had felt strange. Not terribly bad, just strange, but it had made her feel uneasy all the same. They seemed as wary of her as she was of them, and she wondered why. She was just a bartender from a small town, not a serial killer or any other such thing.

Her fingers danced on the silver chain about her neck, the metal always cold. Even in the summer it was almost uncomfortably icy, never warming from contact with her skin. Still, she put it on every day since she found it. It felt strangely soothing, protective. It almost felt like it was a part of her.

The door to the bar creaked open, and the hair on the back of her neck shot up. He didn't look intimidating at all—He was a little on the short side and despite the shock of blond spikes on his head he looked unassuming. There was something familiar about those blue eyes, she noticed as he took his time walking towards the counter. He looked resigned, like he had just found out he was going to die in a few months.

His clothing was all black. Black button up shirt, black pants, black boots. She wondered if he just came from a night time funeral, or perhaps he was a grave robber; there was something about him that reminded her of the grave, heavy and final. Studying his outfit for a few seconds she decided that his clothing was a little more refined than what would be found on those who stole from the dead.

"Welcome! I'm Tifa. Can I get you anything?" She flashed her most welcoming smile.

The stranger stopped and studied her for a moment before walking towards her and sitting on a stool. He looked her in the eyes. He didn't even attempt to smile, but at least he wasn't scowling. She wasn't able to read him just yet; was he a potential threat, a potential regular? She wasn't sure just yet.

"I'll have a scotch, please," he said impassively.

Tifa nodded. "Comin' right up!"

She turned around to fetch a glass, and glanced at the mirror in front of her as she opened the bottle. He wasn't there.

She snapped her head around and tensed, ready to fight. Her eyes fixed on his as she turned, and Tifa stopped to look at him. He was sitting on another stool.

He pointed to the corner of the ceiling. "I can see the television better."

"Oh," she responded flatly. Tifa went back to fixing up his scotch while looking at him from the corner of her eye, then slid it gently towards him. "There you go, um..."

He blinked a few times, his mouth a thin line. "...Cloud."

Tifa tilted her head to the side a little. "Cloud? That's an old-fashioned name."

"I suppose so," he said dismissively before taking a sip of his drink. He eyed her again, his gaze falling near her chest. Of course.

She grabbed a rag and started wiping the counter, attempting to ignore the leer her lonesome customer was giving her. If he thought she looked like a good target just because she was a woman alone in a bar, she would give him another thing coming with her fists.

As she wiped the stone surface near Cloud she looked up as he said, "that's an interesting necklace you have there."

He was pointing at it. She looked down at the bauble and put her fingers around the strange, delicate amulet hanging from it. It rested in the palm of her hand, icy cold like the chain holding it. "You think so too, huh?" Her eyes met his again.

Cloud motioned for her to come closer, and she felt strangely compelled to do so. He very gently plucked the amulet from her palm and studied it. It was made of silver in the shape of two bat wings cradling a shiny black orb. The orb almost had a purplish tint to the outside edges. In the dark Tifa swore it was very faintly glowing. Could he see it?

"Hm. You don't know what this is, do you?" he asked. His blue eyes looked up at her.

She scrunched her eyebrows together and shook her head. "No, I don't."

He put it down into her palm again. "It's a talisman that...keeps the restless dead away." His hand curled about his glass, and he took another sip.

"Really?" Tifa looked down at it. "I found it when I was a kid. I wonder how something like this got into my room..."

Cloud shrugged. "Maybe you got the attention of someone...in a good way," he corrected as her face paled and her eyes locked with his. "That's a very rare gift to be given."

She put it down to rest on her chest, then began wiping again. "I don't know whose attention I got that they would leave me this." In fact, the thought of a total stranger putting something under her pillow as she slept was terrifying.

To her surprise, he chuckled. It was dry and barely with humor, but it was a chuckle. "Someone very powerful, obviously."

She raised a brow. "So, how do you know so much about it?"

"...I research things like that." He looked down at his drink.

"Hm. So, where are you from?" she asked, wanting to change the subject. His accent, despite being so slight, was making her curious.

He shrugged as he sipped from his glass again. "The other continent. I came to visit. For the scenery."

Tifa's eyes lit up at the thought of someone coming from one of the larger cities. "Oh, are you from Midgar?" City folk came to Nibelheim on occasion for the countryside and the mountain, she remembered. Hopefully the festival now, too.

Cloud shook his head. "No. I'm just a country boy."

"Oh." She tried to hide her mild disappointment with a shrug. "Well, it's nice living in the country, isn't it? I guess it can be a little boring when you're grown up, but for a kid it's great."

He nodded. "Was Nibelheim a nice place to grow up in?"

"Yeah. I know a lot of the mountain paths like the back of my hand, now." She let out a little laugh. "My grandparents told me that I shouldn't go up there because it's full of the undead, but I've never seen such a thing. I'm pretty sure they don't exist, and they're just being superstitious." Tifa looked down at her amulet, then at him again. "Or, this has really been keeping them away."

"I see." He sipped again. "The mountain has a history?"

Tifa nodded. "There's mako springs in the middle latitudes, but real high up is an abandoned castle. I'm sure you've seen it, it looms over the town. Old timers say the god of the dead lives there and haunts the mountainside."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Nibelheim has a very old relationship with the dead, but for the last century its been trying to shake it off. Since, you know, there's no god or whatever living here."

One of his blond brows raised up in a query. "You're sure? There's legends about gods all over the world."

She giggled. "A god, reside here? Maybe in a more lively place, sure."

"Well, if they're the god of the dead, would they want to be in a lively place?" he asked.

"Oh. Well, I wouldn't know." Tifa sighed wistfully. "When I was a girl I thought he kept the souls of the dead, but I must've misheard my gramps..." She looked down and wiped some more.

"Does anyone here know anything about this god?"

Tifa shrugged. "He was cursed out of the church for treason against Minerva a really long time ago, but us locals have our own stories about him." She looked up and crossed her arms as she thought, then looked down at Cloud again. "Some stories are similar to the church stories, and some have him as a more benevolent figure. Not by much, though."

"Hm. If that's so, it'd be best not to disturb that castle, I would think."

She snorted. "No one goes up there, anyway."

They finished talking and Tifa let him finish his drink in peace, the blond haired man glancing up at the television from time to time. Cloud put some coins on the counter and stood from his stool after the last drop of scotch left his glass. "...I better get going, it's getting late."

Tifa looked up from the counter and smiled at him. He didn't seem so bad after she talked to him. "Take care, Cloud. I hope to see you again."

He nodded, a ghost of a smile on his face. "Stay safe, Tifa." Cloud walked towards the door and soon disappeared into the night.

She gazed at the door for a time, and noticed the air felt warmer. Tifa looked down at the empty glass and the coins he left. They were extremely old from the look of them, and they felt heavy in her hands. She wondered if they were coins from before they started using cheaper metals. 'Maybe he's into old things.'

Tifa put them into the till, then began to close up the bar. Her mind lingered on that strange man that came in, and her mind screamed that she had seen him before. She knew him, somehow. But where? Cloud didn't look any older than she was, and he wasn't a local.

That voice of his, it was at the periphery of her memory but it wouldn't budge. She mentally shrugged as she locked the door behind her and headed home. Perhaps Cloud would visit her again while he was in town, she thought as she made her way through the dark streets.

Tifa walked through the abandoned streets of Nibelheim, and after a few minutes she felt something was off. She bit her lip and tensed her body as she walked, eyeing the shadows for threats. She began to take an alternate route home, on the off chance she would lose that feeling that followed her. Her breath caught in her throat as the soft sound of a single footfall reached her ears, and she spun around.

No one was there.

She narrowed her eyes and readied her stance. That feeling was all around her, making her feel as uneasy as she did that afternoon with the three strange men. Still she studied the general direction of the sound, taking a deliberate step back here and there. Suddenly, a form came out of the shadows, and she creased her brow.

It was a big, black canine.

She wasn't sure if it was a dog or a wolf, but it was wagging its tail at her. Tifa relaxed, and snorted at the creature. "Hey, puppy," she cooed at it. It cautiously trotted closer, and she stretched out her hand to let it sniff at her. That strange feeling was pouring off of it, but it didn't seem like a dangerous animal at all. She wondered if it was just paranoia. "Are you lost?"

It sat in front of her and cocked its head. Tifa chuckled and bent down to rub its cheek. "You shouldn't spook young women trying to get home at night, boy."

She let it lean into her touch. Its spiky black fur was soft and warm on her skin. The light of the Moon and a streetlight made her eyes travel downward to something glimmering under the fur on its chest, and she tried to examine it as her hand drifted towards it. "What's this—"

The canine backed away with a snarl, and bared its teeth at her. She leaped from her crouch and went into a defensive position. "What's gotten into you?!" She nervously rolled her eyes. "Enough of this. I'm going home."

It began growling at her, and she didn't feel safe letting her eyes drift off the canine. Its eyes were far too intelligent, and whatever was on its chest very faintly glowed. It took a step closer, and she positioned her foot to ready herself for it to pounce. She was sure it would've attacked if not for the spine-chilling moan that came from the alley it had exited from.

Then there was another, and then another.

Tifa's eyes widened as she looked about for the source of the moans. The canine was whining and backing away from the sounds. Then, she saw a desiccated, bony claw hold onto the brick wall of the closed business she stood near.

A rotting corpse was shambling towards the canine, and then she noticed several others. Moaning, reaching, shuffling. The torn skin was hues of greys and greens when they were under the lamplight, and mottled browns spotted the surface like an overripe banana. The pungent smell of death grew.

One of them let out a low, lifeless moan before continuing towards the black canine.

Tifa's breath was quick, and she had an urge to flee that was not quite her own. "Run, dog!" She took off towards home, fleeing from the zombies. Behind her she didn't hear the sounds of growls or whimpers but of an actual fight with human grunts and cheers.

It confused her to no end, but as she turned the corner with that urge to run panging in her chest she supposed it didn't matter. She reached her home and shakily placed her key in the lock, jiggling it and hurriedly letting herself in before locking the door. As she leaned against the now locked door, the fear subsided and she quickly cursed herself for her cowardice.

Since when were shuffling corpses a problem to fight?

Not that she had ever fought one, but still. They were jarring to look at, she admitted to herself. She wondered if that was why she reacted as she did. Tifa had no idea how powerful the creatures actually were, either. They could have looked deceptively weak for all she knew. She wondered if she would have been infected if one of them scratched her, just like in the movies.

Letting out a long sigh she pushed herself off of the door and flicked the switch to the living room light. She felt exhausted and confused. Weird dogs, zombies, suspicious men that kept watching her in her bar, mysterious Cloud...As she went up the stairs she hoped tomorrow would be a far more peaceful experience. After all, the festival would begin that evening.

Tifa showered and got ready for bed, and when she finally laid down for the night, sleep did not come easily. The rotting faces of the zombies would glower beneath her eyelids, or a demand to investigate her memories for Cloud would bring her back from the brink of sleep. Late into the night she finally found rest, and the whispers of some bottled up memory found its way into her mind. She barely remembered it in the morning.


	3. Curiouser and Curiouser

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayyyy I've got like five chapters ready total I'm just not dumping them at the same time

Zack swung his sword, and the zombie lost its head. The creature still grasped the air in front of it, looking for its opponent. The Esper swung again, and the torso slid off the legs beneath it with a sickening sound. He backed away as it crawled on the ground; a bout of purifying flame burnt it to ash a moment later. Zack looked over at Genesis.

"Nice job, but I think you singed my eyebrows!"

Genesis smirked before reaching out his hand towards his next opponent, the zombie being held back with the red head's rapier. The point went through the undead's chest, and it let out a hungry moan. Vivid red flames poured from Genesis' palm, and the undead abomination became a gray pillar that dissolved in the wind. "You should stand back, Zachary. Phoenix's flames can be indiscriminate at times."

Angeal shook his head and used the flat of his broadsword to swing a zombie into the next fire spell his friend produced. The small group of undead were shortly taken care of, and the three Espers waited for more to come their way. "Stay vigilant, pup."

"Pfft. Some Esper, if she was gonna send some small fry after us!"

A frown crossed Genesis' features. "Weaklings to prevent our pursuit. I doubt she could summon anything more powerful, anyway."

The lamp lit road of deserted businesses darkened, and a sense of deep unease formed in the three's guts.

"Do you feel that?" Genesis was looking about the dark street with dread in his eyes and his rapier ready.

Angeal nodded grimly, his giant sword at the ready. Zack was right behind him, waiting for any more undead to shamble into sight. The small pack of zombies that had attacked them lay in ashen piles on the worn out street. "Something powerful is present."

"Y'sure it isn't the Esper?" Zack asked, hefting his own large sword up once again. It didn't feel like her, but still...what else could it be?

The howl of a strong gust of wind came from above them, but no breeze blew past. A voice, deep and authoritative, commanded them from all corners of their battle arena.

_Leave her be._

Angeal stayed silent for a few moments longer, anticipating an attack. The odd, dark sensation dissipated, however. Hesitantly, he lowered his greatsword and looked about. He shook his head. "No, it wasn't her. But that must have been..."

"Sephiroth!" Genesis waltzed over to the other two as he narrowed his eyes. "He must have heard her silent pleas to save her."

"Well, why doesn't he fight us?!"

The red head shrugged. "Perhaps he is being...subtle, in his request that we leave Nibelheim."

Angeal nodded in concurrence. "And to not harass his Esper. She must be important to him if he would give a small show of power."

Genesis nodded, with a slight sense of awe. "To think, we may finally corner the god of death himself!"

"Mm. No one has heard a peep from him in centuries. It is not a good omen."

Zack's sword dissipated out of his hand and he frowned, rubbing the back of his neck. "Y'know, I thought she was puttin' on an act after she tried to touch my relic, but she told me to run after those zombies showed up..."

"You shouldn't have done that," Angeal chastised. "We were trying to get her into the outskirts of town, not start a fight in Nibelheim."

"This place is totally abandoned as it is," Zack remarked. He knew he had upset his mentor, however. He decided to switch gears. "Hey, she couldn't have gotten far. Maybe I can sniff out her house?" He had leaned in and whispered it to his friends, a hand cupping the side of his mouth.

Genesis hummed, then the two older Espers nodded. "That might be prudent. She cannot flee the town so easily if we know her place of residence."

Zack grinned, then hopped off. With a bounce his relic glowed, and he was a black furred, spiky wolf again. He sniffed about, then located her scent before following it. It wasn't a scent he would associate with a necromancer or an evil Esper; it smelled like strawberry shampoo and spice. It was pleasant.

His fellow Espers followed, watching the streets for any more surprises. They found themselves in a residential area rather quickly, and Zack sat himself in front of a house before dissipating back into a man. "This's her place," he whispered.

It looked like an ordinary house. There was only the faintest of sensations coming from the domicile, most likely from her relic, they deduced. "Hm." Genesis tapped his chin with a finger as he figured out what to do next. He glanced about the area, feeling no eyes on them nor dark presences. "We will keep watch through the night, one at a time."

Angeal nodded. "I will go first. Zack, you will go second."

"I will watch her through the morn," Genesis replied.

Zack groaned. "What if more of those zombies show up?"

"We take care of them."

The young Esper nodded slowly, then swallowed. "What if Sephiroth decides to make an appearance?"

Genesis tensed his jaw, then huffed through his nose. "Flee." Then he added, "with your tail between your legs."

Zack scoffed, then stood from his seat in front of the door. Angeal looked towards Genesis. "Get the artifact at the inn ready. If he shows up again, we have a chance to contain him long enough to seal him away, just like his lemmings."

Genesis nodded. "Hopefully it will work. After so many years of silence from Minerva...Well, it does no good to dwell on that. Be safe, Angeal." He turned around to leave with Zack.

Angeal began his post between two houses across the street from Tifa's residence. He watched not only the door but the skies and shadows as well, watching for any warning sign that Sephiroth was ready to attack him. He wondered as the hours went by: What was so special about this Esper that he would make an appearance after five hundred years? Why did the god not strike them down? Angeal touched his amulet. Alexander was a holy god, and perhaps this small taste of his power was enough to warn the deity off. Perhaps both sides were unprepared, or perhaps Sephiroth knew they had something to trap him with.

Zack nearly spooked him out of his thoughts as he came sprinting towards him, and he reported nothing strange had occurred. Angeal looked over his shoulder to look at his student one last time before heading off to the inn to rest.

Bored, Zack decided to do some squats. He kept his eyes on the door of Tifa's house, pondering recent events. He had decided to do an impromptu performance in front of the woman, and instead of doing what one would think an Esper would do, such as call him out, she had treated him like a stray. It was when her hand came close to his relic that he had recoiled, and with good reason.

But even after that, Tifa had feigned ignorance. It didn't sit right with Zack at all; something was terribly amiss.

He watched as a lone figure walked down the sidewalk on the other side of the street. It was a man, silhouetted as he passed a light. The stranger looked to be about as tall as Zack, and the Esper watched him with some dread, especially after he heard the voice of an evil god issue from all around him hours ago.

Zack saw the man turn and look at him, his face barely visible under his hood. The stranger never stopped walking by, and dismissively turned away as he continued on his way. The young Esper relaxed, then continued his observation. He glanced at his watch as the man fell into the shadows. It was getting close to Genesis' turn.

_I thought I told you to leave her alone?_

Zack jumped in surprise as the voice addressed him. He looked around but saw no one; the air was suddenly heavy and cold. "Eh? I-I haven't bothered her anymore, have I?" he brazenly asked the space in front of him. He could feel the deity...thinking.

_Don't play stupid with me. Leave Tifa be._

He crossed his arms. "I'll watch her if I need to. I take orders from Fenrir and the church, not you."

_Hm. You three will have your parts to play soon, I promise._

The Esper did not like the sound of that at all. "We aren't havin' anything to do with whatever you're cookin', death god!" To his absolute horror, he heard a rumbling chuckle.

_We will see._

With that, the presence disappeared, and Zack was visibly shaken when Genesis came to relieve him half an hour later. The red head cocked his head and put a hand to his hip. "Zachary?"

"Sephiroth decided to chat a little. Really cheerful guy."

Genesis' blue eyes widened. "What happened?"

Zack blew a sigh upward, lifting his bangs a little. "He said that...we'll have our parts to play soon. And to leave Tifa alone."

"Hm." The older Esper looked at Tifa's dwelling with some apprehension. What were these machinations they would play into? He glanced at Zack and nodded. "Go get some rest, Zachary."

* * *

After last night, Tifa decided she earned some comfort food not made by her own hand. It was nearly daybreak, and she would take her morning walk, then go to her favorite breakfast cafe. She showered, still feeling the grimy hand of undeath after last night's misadventure. After she had dressed Tifa put her special amulet on and immediately pondered Cloud's words last night.

The zombies hadn't given chase.

Perhaps it held the properties he said it had. She rubbed it lovingly, then headed downstairs to collect her purse before opening the door. Tifa looked about her street after locking her front door, and frowned at what greeted her eyes.

There was a strange red bird across the street from her.

It was elegant and a vibrant crimson, and perhaps its lapis eyes were taking an interest in her. She wasn't sure, with its haughty pose upon a street lamp; it could simply be regarding her as one of the creatures that roamed its territory. Tifa remembered the dog from last night, and how unusual it was, and wondered fleetingly if there was some connection between it and this bird. Brushing it aside as paranoia, she began her walk towards her breakfast, ignoring the bird.

The sky was beginning to turn baby blue, any pink and gold clouds on the horizon in the east blotted out by trees and hills. Tifa let out a yawn. She had not slept well last night. She decided a large cup of coffee was in order when she had her breakfast.

The street was quiet but for the rustle of dead leaves on a crisp breeze, and the very seldom stranger that she passed by. Some were going to work, some were perhaps doing some early morning errand. Tifa took in a deep breath of the clean, cool air of autumn, enjoying the scent of decaying leaves.

She soon found herself at The Coffee Pot, a popular breakfast spot in town. Tifa entered and felt the warm glow of the cafe air on her face and the scent of coffee and toast in her nose. Then a strange, familiar sensation she had felt last night. Tifa looked around the small cafe.

Her eyes locked onto a familiar pair of sapphire orbs that looked her way a few moments after she had entered; Cloud was at a booth, nursing a cup of coffee. He had a mildly surprised look on his face. She waved and headed his way.

"Cloud, good morning!"

He nodded at her, then after a few moments of hesitation he motioned his hand towards the booth across from him in an invitation to join him. She happily did so, placing her purse next to her on the plush, brown faux-leather. "Small world," he said quietly. "Did you wanna have breakfast with me?"

Tifa smiled, then nodded. "I came for some sweet toast. It's the best in Nibelheim."

"Maybe I'll give it a try, too."

A waitress came by and brought Tifa a menu, she ordered her coffee before looking at the options available. Tifa pointed at one. "I think I'll have the apple cinnamon sweet toast." She handed Cloud the menu.

He looked over it. "They're all good, huh? I'll try the same, since you're a local."

Tifa let out a little giggle, and the two gave their orders as the waitress came back with Tifa's coffee. Again they were left to themselves, and Cloud folded his hands together in front of him as Tifa went about fixing her coffee. She took a long sip after she was finished. He cocked his head. "You don't look like you slept very well."

Her dark ruby eyes flittered to his, then back down towards the wood of the table. "I, um...I think you were right about my talisman," she whispered. Her eyes came back to gauge his reaction.

He raised his brows. "What happened?"

She hesitantly gave her story, of the strange dog and the zombies that came out of the alley. "I know it sounds silly, but it was pretty jarring. I think this little thing kept them from me." Tifa was sure she could take on the zombies, and it still perplexed her when she thought back to the fear that grasped her heart instead of a resolute spirit.

Cloud nodded slowly. "It sounds like last night was tense...and confusing. But...you're okay now." He took a sip of his coffee. "Not sure what to tell you about the dog, though. I'd keep away from any weird animals, I suppose."

"Yeah..." She looked around the cafe as her hands cradled her coffee. There was a couple eating together in one booth, and a woman with green eyes and long brown hair looking their way with a look that was a cross between silent terror and confusion. The strange woman quickly looked away, fiddling with the menu.

Tifa continued to study her, then remembered that she had seen her at the church in recent weeks. She looked back at Cloud, who was watching her with a contemplative look on his face. She found it reassuring that he didn't set her on edge like he did last night. She chalked it up to the strange men that had appeared earlier in the day.

Their food came a moment later, and Tifa happily started to carve into her toast. It was topped with an apple compote and whipped cream. "Ah, I need to come here more often."

Cloud chuckled after he finished his first bite. "They're pretty good."

They continued to eat their breakfast while ignoring the occasional stares of the young woman. Tifa noticed that she was joined by one of the men who came to her bar the other afternoon. She felt uneasy with two sets of eyes on her. "Um, Cloud..."

"Yes?"

"The Autumn Festival begins tonight. I was planning on going..." She felt uncomfortable all around. Those two strangers were obviously watching her, and she wasn't asking Cloud out on a date exactly. But she wanted to share in the fun with someone, and her friends were either working the fair or out of town.

He sipped on his coffee and gave her a curious look. "You're going tonight..." Cloud looked down at his crumb strewn plate, then out the glass panels of the cafe entrance. Slowly, his eyes reached her again. "I could use a guide."

She tsked when he shyly grinned back. "I guess I just wanted to hang out with someone tonight."

He nodded. "It sounds like fun. I'll be at the entrance when it opens in the evening."

Tifa agreed to the time, then began rummaging around in her purse for her wallet to pay for her tab. She glanced up when she heard the sound of heavy coins tapping against the table. Cloud had put down enough for both of their tabs and a tip. "Wait, you don't have to—"

He downed the rest of his coffee, then stood up from the booth. "Owe you for introducing me to a new breakfast food," he explained. There was a faint smirk on his lips.

She found it a flimsy excuse, but came to stand next to him and gave him a thankful nod. "Thank you, Cloud."

"You're welcome."

"So, what will you be doing today?" she asked.

He gave a withering look at the red head who watched them both like a hawk, then at Tifa before ushering her towards the door. "I might take a look at the church, I hear it's ancient. And I might look at a few shops. I want to pace myself."

Tifa let out a laugh as the door closed behind them. "In a town like this, yes, you should pace yourself!" She rubbed at an eye. "If you don't, you'll see everything in two days."

A ghost of a smile danced on Cloud's lips. "Well, I better be going. I'll see you tonight."

She smiled back. He felt like someone she had known for a long while, but why she did not know. "I'll see you then, Cloud."

The two separated with friendly smiles, and after walking away from the cafe, she looked back behind her shoulder to find her new acquaintance was already gone. Perhaps down an alley shortcut or he was simply fleet footed. Before she turned back she did notice the mysterious red head walk out of the door, the brunette following close behind.

He gave a judgemental stare at Tifa before turning his head and walking briskly, his arm protectively around the young woman's shoulders.

She turned her head to what was in front of her again, not feeling easy about him. As her walk brought her closer to the relative safety of her home, she thought about what the evening would hold instead of the night that had passed her by. A smile crossed Tifa's lips as she thought about the festival before she crossed the threshold back into her home, rubbing her talisman. No zombies or strange animals there, just her and her new friend.


	4. Autumn Festival

"Are you alright, priestess?"

Aerith looked over into Genesis' concerned, blue eyes. He was sipping a cup of coffee and taking slight glances at the pair across the cafe. To her the man in black felt like he had a great presence hiding within him, and she had almost been tempted to go over and strike up a conversation. Unassuming, but something was there beneath the surface.

Then, _she_ came in.

Immediately the dark haired bartender had gone to the stranger's table, like a moth to a flame. Aerith wondered if she felt the same thing she had, and if she wanted whatever power this man held. Could he not feel the shadows about her? Perhaps he was unaware of what he held inside himself. Certainly she hadn't always been aware of her own power.

"I'm fine," she replied quietly before drinking the rest of her hot chocolate. Her eyes went back to the duo as they sat up, ready to leave. The blond stranger shot a withering glare at she and Genesis, as if he had been aware they had been spying on them as they ate breakfast. Then, they were out the door.

Aerith looked at the glass door, then their former booth. Something glinted from the seat the strange man had taken, and she scooted from her booth to investigate. Coming closer, she noticed it was a piece of green materia. Gingerly she touched it, and her brows knitted together as she identified it as a Restore materia. There was no way he could have left something like this on accident, she thought.

The priestess scooped it up before turning to see Genesis placing gil down for the tab. He hurriedly went to her and escorted her out the door, disliking where everything was going. He looked at what was in the palm of her hand as the crisp air of Autumn hit their face. "What is that?"

She looked at it, then Genesis. "It's a Restore materia. The man left it in his booth."

His brow raised up. "He dropped it?"

"It's something that would be difficult to lose on accident." The sensation alone would alert one to its presence. Was this for them? Was it a message? Aerith held the emerald bauble in her fingers while looking into its depths, searching it for any spiritual taint. There was none. "Hm. It seems like it's just a normal materia."

She looked back at the Esper, and then down the street at whatever he was looking at. It was the young woman, who looked past her shoulder to stare back. The strange man was not with her; Aerith looked about. He was gone. "I wonder where he could have went..."

"I don't like this, not one bit," Genesis remarked before beginning to escort the priestess to the church. A chill wind blew by, and he held her closer in a bid to keep the unknown away from his charge. "Zachary said Sephiroth spoke to him last night."

She let out a little gasp. "What?!"

"He warned him to leave the woman...Tifa, alone." The Esper let out a little huff. "And that we will have our part to play in his plans."

Aerith stiffened at the news. "This doesn't sound good at all. What could he be planning?"

"It does not bode well, no. But we will stay extra vigilant while we are in Nibelheim, and attempt to seal Sephiroth away until a more permanent measure can be used to subdue him like his subordinate deities centuries ago."

They were silent after that, finishing their walk to the church. Aerith bid Genesis goodbye when she had assured him she would be safe in the church, and to worry about planning a way to stop the Esper and her dark master. As soon as she closed the oak doors her neck tingled, and she turned around.

That man was sitting in a pew in front of the pulpit, his head bowed.

Aerith was a little hesitant on account of his friendliness towards Tifa, but she reasoned he could just be an approachable person. She strode down the aisle, stopping at the side of the wooden pew he had chosen. A moment later and he slowly cocked his head up and to the side to look at her with one azure eye, his eyebrow quirking upwards. He said nothing.

"Hello," she greeted as she bounced on her heels. Her hands were behind her back.

He raised his head, then nodded at her. "Morning."

Aerith tilted her head a little bit, attempting to be disarming. "I'm the new keeper of this church. My name is Aerith. I haven't seen you around these parts before."

"Except for the cafe."

Her cheeks flushed a little, and her smile wavered. "Well, except for the cafe. I wasn't expecting any churchgoers this early."

He chuckled. "I didn't mean anything by it."

Aerith straightened her neck and smiled more brightly. "So, what brings you to my church, mister...?"

"Cloud, just Cloud." He rubbed his thumb with the other, hands together as if he had been in prayer. "I'm just enjoying the ambience."

She let out a little giggle. "This church still has the ambience of the god that formerly occupied it," the priestess began to explain. "Before he became what he is today, that is."

"So...a place of respite?"

Aerith nodded. "Even though it was converted into a church to house Minerva, it's like a part of Sephiroth stayed behind...Perhaps it did. Maybe what little good that was within his spirit tore away and resides here."

He gave her a piercing look. "Is that what you believe? That Sephiroth was torn in two?"

She waved her hand dismissively. "No! But, I'd like to think something of him was redeemed." A sigh passed her lips as she glanced at a stained glass window for a moment. "Something has to have been, for death to function. Or it was passed to Minerva..."

"Hm." Cloud rubbed his hands together as they rested in his laps. "Is it true that Minerva hasn't been heard from in centuries?"

Aerith looked away from the window and back at him. "They say she still fights Abyssion. We are Her agents, just as Sephiroth is Abyssion's." Who knew what the machinations of that god were, she thought. The long term plans he could have that no one was aware of...Aerith shook her head. "Anyway, I think you dropped this in the cafe." Her hand came up and revealed the Restore materia.

He looked at it, then up at her. His lips twitched. "You can keep it," he said simply.

She frowned. "This is a nearly matured Restore materia."

"I know."

"So take it back?"

Cloud let out a little chuckle. "I have another. I just had that one on me in case anyone needed some help. But, I'd like to think of it as my tithe to the church now. After all, with a silent goddess the church could use all the help it can get."

Aerith felt a little uncomfortable, but it was looking certain that he wouldn't accept the orb back. She wondered if he was wealthy, or just had a large materia cache at home. She looked down at it, fingers barely keeping it in her palm. 

Cloud's hand steadied hers, and his other hand gently squeezed the fingers shut around it. "I'm sure someone like you can help a lot of people with this," he said softly.

The touch of his skin made her hand buzz lightly. Emerald stared into sapphire. "Who are you?" she whispered.

"Just a vacationer. Why?"

He and Aerith turned at the sound of the heavy oak doors opening, a very stern looking Angeal looking grimly at them both from the entryway. He plodded down the aisle, looking back and forth between the two. Angeal was watching Cloud the most closely, and he eased his stare when Aerith gave him a reassuring nod. 

Cloud looked at them both, then stood from the pew. Aerith did a double take before putting her free hand on his shoulder. "You don't have to leave just yet, Cloud."

He shook his head. "I have other places to visit before the festival tonight. I'll be sure to visit again soon, Aerith." He walked towards the exit after a farewell nod to the priestess. Aerith watched him leave, then looked up at Angeal.

"Genesis told me Zack had a small chat with Sephiroth."

Angeal tightened his jaw, and looked at her a few moments before answering. "He also sent some undead after us so Tifa could escape."

She frowned, then looked down at the materia. Maybe it would come in handy, after all. If any undead showed up while the three Espers were away, this could potentially kill them off with life giving energies. Was Cloud aware that something evil was afoot in Nibelheim? Aerith squeezed the slightly elastic orb. 

The Esper cocked his head and pointed at the softly glowing orb. "Is that the materia you found in the cafe?"

Aerith looked up and nodded. "And that man that left was the former owner. He told me to keep it."

"Hm. That sounds awfully suspicious. There's nothing wrong with it, is there?"

She looked it over again, probing the materia. She shook her head. "No, it's perfectly fine." Her eyes reached Angeal's. "I'm wondering if he knows something. He's not from these parts, so I'm not sure what his real reason for being here is."

The Esper put his hands on his hips as he mulled over what she had said and what should be done. "We'll try and keep an eye on him if we see him around town. He seems suspicious, if he would eat breakfast with that evil Esper."

Aerith nodded. "There's something about him, Cloud, that I can't quite place. It doesn't feel evil, though. I can't really tell what it is..." She held out the materia. "But if he would give me this while the undead roam Nibelheim, perhaps he's not a problem."

"I suppose we just need a better picture of what he's doing in town," he said quietly. "He's not an Esper. And I don't believe he's Odin, roaming about the world."

The priestess chuckled. Odin was a god who traveled among mortals, judging the wicked. "Cloud would have struck the woman down!"

"Hm." Angeal rubbed his nose. "Well, until Zack is rested up, I will guard you and the church."

She shook her head. "I'll be fine! You should get out there and figure out what that Esper is up to, not worry about me."

"We will find out," he assured her. Angeal picked up his relic from his chest and let the crystal peak out at Aerith. "Holy light reveals the truth in all things."

* * *

Tifa had decided to stay inside most of the day and clean. Every time she went by an open window she felt like someone was watching her, but all she saw were passerbys and tiny wildlife going about their business on her street. After a late lunch she decided to take a nap so she was wide awake during the festival. She held her necklace in her hand as it rested on the bed, still thankful for its presence.

She woke up as the sun began to edge closer to the horizon, and she took another shower before looking through her closet and drawers for something to wear. A pair of thick black jeans would keep the chill off of her legs, but what about a top? She chose a dark blue sweater and put it on, then her necklace over it. 

Tifa looked at herself in the mirror hanging on the back of the door of her bedroom. The sweater barely covered the curve of her torso. She thought it had been a bit looser the last time she wore it, but shrugged and went to get her purse downstairs.

She peeked outside first, watching for any strange animals or people. There was some foot traffic, but nothing out of the ordinary. Still, she felt something nearby. She didn't want Cloud to wait because she was getting paranoid. Tifa left the entryway, locked her door and mingled with the small stream of people headed towards the festival.

The air was becoming cooler as the sun's weak rays were blocked by the hills and trees in the distance. Instead of merely decaying leaves scenting the air this evening, however, there was the scent of baked goods and fried foods, and burning wood from the bonfire erected in the town square. It was nostalgic, a barely changing memory. First she went with her parents, then her grandparents, and now with a new friend. 

Tifa watched her back every so often but as soon as she caught sight of Cloud by the entrance she forgot about that strange feeling. She waved as she approached, and the morose frown on his face was covered with a small smile. He did a single wave back as she took the last few steps towards him. "Evening, Cloud! Enjoy your sight seeing today?"

He nodded. "Yeah. The church was really nice."

"It is, isn't it?" She motioned at the festival with her hand. "The festival hasn't changed very much at all since I was a little girl. They say it's an ancient tradition in Nibelheim that used to honor Sephiroth and the dead."

"I see." He looked around as they walked through the entrance, taking in the sight of the large bonfire. "I suppose it's taken very seriously in these parts."

"Yeah. It just honors the dead and the change from summer to autumn now, but the traditions haven't changed much. There's dancers and you can purchase powder incense to throw on the bonfire to honor loved ones that have passed away."

"Do you do that?"

Tifa nodded solemnly. "Every year."

He looked at a merchant selling the incense, and examined the small, thin cloth bag that smelled of sweet resins and bitter herbs. Out of the corner of his eye Tifa's hand came into view, holding several bills. "Two please," she requested. She grabbed one of the bags and turned around, walking towards the thick white rope barrier.

She heard him walk to her side. "You didn't have to buy me one."

"It would have felt weird not to, after you bought my breakfast," she replied with a shrug. Tifa held the bag in both hands. "You're supposed to think about your loved ones before you toss it in," she explained to Cloud. She closed her eyes and thought about her parents and paternal grandparents that she visited several times a week on the edges of town. The atmosphere felt chillier and everything fell quiet, then she gently tossed the incense into the bonfire. It crackled and began to release a thick white smoke that perfumed the air.

She glanced at Cloud, who still had his eyes closed in thought. A moment later and he tossed the bag in, opening his eyes to watch the smoke rise. "It's a nice tradition," he concluded quietly.

"Yeah."

He raised a brow. "Does the temperature fluctuate like that around here?"

She cocked her head. "Huh?" Immediately after, she realized he was talking about that chill that came as she thought about her own honored dead, and her eyes glanced down at her talisman for a second before going back to Cloud's blue eyes. "N-no, it's not supposed to..."

He let out a little huff of air, almost like a barely discernible laugh. "Well, where to next?"

Tifa let Cloud take the lead, explaining one thing or another when asked. There was a strange frown growing on his face as the amount of people celebrating the festival grew, and she wondered if he suffered from social anxiety. "Hey, are you alright?"

He blinked a few times as he snapped his head towards her, startled by her voice. "Yeah. I guess I just wasn't expecting such a large crowd..."

She smiled gently at him. "I admit it's been a little smaller in the past, but the town council and mayor really wanted to put it on the map this year." Tifa pointed towards a dark corner where some seats could be found, far away from the crowds that were bothering him. "Do you wanna rest over there?"

Cloud nodded. "Yeah...um, I'll meet you over there, okay? I have to use the restroom first."

"Alright. I'll see you in a few minutes!" She watched him head towards a public restroom, then she bounded towards the dark, lonesome corner to sit and wait. Tifa hummed a little tune she had heard over the radio while she had been cleaning in the morning, hoping her friend wouldn't get lost trying to find her. She watched as people went about their business in the distance as she hid near a grove of trees and a brick building.

After a few minutes her shoulders shuddered, but not from the chill in the air, and she stiffened. Boots were crunching her way, but she instinctively knew they were not Cloud's. Tifa looked towards the sound, noticing the three men from the bar coming closer. They were staring at her. Even Zack, the one who greeted her rather warmly the first time they met, looked far more serious than one his age should look.

She stood up and narrowed her eyes. "...Anything I can help you three with?"

"You can drop the charade, for starters," said the tall red head.

Tifa raised a brow. "...Charade?"

He rolled his eyes and pointed a gloved finger at her chest. "You're absolutely awful. Did you think the church would not find out? You run around with that thing hanging about your neck!"

She glanced down at her necklace, and touched it with her thumb and index finger. "What about it?"

"We know you're Sephiroth's Esper, Tifa," the tall one with the long black hair announced. He held a stern, grave frown. "You can fool the townsfolk, but not us."

"Yep, the jig is up!"

Tifa glanced at Zack, his chest puffed out with pride. Her gaze took in the three as she mulled over what they said. "Sephiroth's...Esper?" She shook her head. "I don't understand."

"You don't know what an Esper is? C'mon..."

"Zachary," the dark haired man sharply warned.

She sighed, but kept up her defensive position. She wished Cloud would interrupt these three before she had to knock them out of her way. "I know what an Esper is, I don't understand how I'm Sephiroth's Esper." Tifa pointed at her talisman. "I was told it keeps away the undead. What does it have to do with him?"

The red head narrowed his eyes at her and took a menacing step forward. "Keeps them away?" A rapier appeared in his hand, and he pointed it at her. "It would call them to your aid, you wretch!"

Tifa instinctively took two steps back, keeping away from the business end of the weapon. "That sounds like a load of rubbish!" But was it? Those zombies didn't chase after her, but she never summoned them. A confused frown grew on her face. What if he was right? What if she had done so on accident?

"This's stupid. Can we just go to some empty field and fight?" Zack asked. "Angeal? Genesis?"

Angeal looked at him, then leveled his gaze at Tifa. "No. She's telling us what Sephiroth is up to."

"...I wouldn't know, sorry."

He stretched out his arm, the amulet hanging from his neck softly glowing gold. "Speak," he commanded softly. "What is your master up to?"

A strange sensation crawled over her throat, and she gasped. Her hand came to rest over it in surprise. "I...don't...know," came words stuttered and forced out of her mouth.

"Where is your master?"

Tifa swallowed hard. "I don't know," came the answer from her throat. A look of puzzlement overcame her face. She had absolutely no idea what was going on or how he was making her speak. 

Genesis took a quick glance about. "You don't know." He looked at Angeal. "Your relic isn't broken now, is it?"

Angeal gave him a withering look. "Of course not."

"I have no master!" Tifa stated as Angeal's relic slowly dimmed.

Genesis returned his gaze to her. "Your relic says different. No matter, we won't let you escape from justice this time."

Tifa looked behind her; there was a stone wall she could possibly use to bound away from these three Espers that took her for one of them. She turned around to sprint towards it, only to have her arm snatched by a strong, gloved hand. "I don't think so!" Zack said.

"Let go of me!" she demanded, and she twisted around and punched the young Esper in the jaw before trying to yank her arm out of his grip. Almost immediately another hand held her free arm, and Genesis came to the front.

His finger looped around the silver thread of her necklace. Tifa tried to bite at Genesis, and he avoided her teeth by pressing his other hand into her forehead. She wasn't sure where his rapier went. "An Esper without a relic is just a regular mortal," he uttered quietly. "Say goodbye to your unholy connection to the dead, traitor to the order of creation."

"Let...me... _go_...!"

The relic glowed a deep violet, and Genesis tugged the silver chain firmly. He let out a surprised gasp when his hand went through Tifa's forehead, and the talisman slipped through his hand like an illusion. He looked at her in disgust and shock. "You...!"

Tifa felt strange, like she couldn't breathe, but didn't need to. She moved further away as her limbs came free from the Espers, but her moment of triumph warped into one of confusion. How did she get free?

"I should have known."

Zack balked. "I...wasn't expecting this."

"I was expecting something more corporeal," Angeal said as he leveled his giant sword at Tifa. "But this isn't anything we can't handle."

 _"Huh?"_ Tifa looked down at her hands. They were pale and translucent. _"Oh, my God. What happened!?"_ She looked down at her feet. They were bare and trailing above the ground, the rest of what she could see like some weak illusion in the darkness. She felt herself shrinking back in horror. _"What happened to me?"_


	5. The Nibelheim Incident

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I dunno. Not too charmed with this chapter but also like. And now I painstakingly work the next chapter when I feel like it, just like every goddamn fanfic I write. Thanks ADHD, I can make a bunch of fanfics but I need to complete the long ones(I AM PLANNING TO DO THIS)

Aerith rubbed the materia in her dress pocket for what must have been the fiftieth time that day. She had decided to visit the festival on a whim, disregarding Angeal's warnings that he suspected the evil Esper would come here. He had said she seemed interested in it. Aerith had shrugged it off; the three Espers were watching Tifa closely as it was, waiting for her to make a move.

And it seemed she had. As the priestess took a sip of her hot cider, a ghostly apparition shot out of a dark alley, and passerbys screamed and hollered in shock. She almost spat out her drink as she watched Zack charge out of the darkness, his broadsword held defensively in his hands as people scattered. The two older Espers looked ready to strike the ghost down with magic.

This was a bad place to confront her. Eventually the local police would come, and that would bring even more trouble.

As she watched the spectacle all the while taking a step back here and there, Aerith noticed the ghost speed her way. She ran out of the path of the wayward spirit, who stopped and curled up in the air several feet from the priestess. _"Someone help me,"_ it whimpered. _"Please."_

"Aerith! Over here!"

Zack was waving at her. Aerith took one last look at the ghost before running towards him. The festival was full of panicking people trying to make their way to the entrance and away from what could be an angry ancestor ghost. As she went past him he brought up his broadsword again. "Tifa turned into that. She's tryin' to escape!"

The priestess studied Tifa. She looked like an absolute mess at the moment, her long, dark hair limp over her translucent and pale face. Her clothing looked ragged and threadbare, and her feet were free of shoes. She jerked about as she floated mostly in place, her red eyes wild with panic and confusion. _"Leave me alone!"_ Her voice was like a queer echo that set the hairs on the back of their necks on end.

A second later and Angeal had Tifa held in place by the power of his relic. She was squirming vainly within a golden light that held her snug in the air. "Alexander can hold down the undead," he drawled out. "You should have been more careful."

Genesis' arm was held up, a swirling scarlet flame surrounding it. "And now, your time is at its end."

_"Let me go!"_

Aerith was watching the spectacle in a daze. Tifa still struggled, and she wondered why she hadn't turned back into a living human to escape again. Could she? Her attention was broken when a malevolent force began to appear behind her, and her breath froze in her lungs. "Zack," she breathed out, barely a whisper, "something's here."

His indigo eye studied her from behind his shoulder. "What?"

"Something is here!"

The ground jolted beneath their feet, and they tumbled to the ground. Genesis and Angeal tried to keep steady, but laid prone on their knees as the earth quaked violently. Tifa was freed, but instead of fleeing, she floated there with her hands to her mouth, watching as buildings took damage or fell from the earthquake. There were screams from the townsfolk caught in the disaster.

The asphalt cracked, a few inches at first and then a foot or more. Groans from tearing pipes and hissing from escaping gasses joined in the roar of the angry earth, deafening yet not able to completely cover the sounds of screaming residents and howling dogs. A nearby building collapsed on itself, and Zack protectively brought an arm out to cover Aerith as best he could, Angeal doing much the same to Genesis.

Aerith thought that perhaps the fires would come next, as gas lines were ruptured and electricity sparked anything flammable, but she didn't expect it to come first from the bonfire. It flared high into the sky, and spilled flames onto the ground before slowly returning to its original intensity. What disturbed her about it wasn't just the aura now surrounding it, but the fact that it no longer produced light while still being visible as fire.

It was a good thing Cloud had given her that materia, she had thought. That was, until the futility of possibly saving anyone became apparent.

The ground stopped shaking abruptly. As the three stood they saw that within the deep cracks in the pavement, an unnatural light was glowing from within. Then, black claws scrambled upwards, attached to impish demons; their numbers surged as they spewed from the ground, small and tall and chubby and lanky. All were lethal abominations. The Espers immediately defended Aerith from them, but the creatures relentlessly attacked anyone present. Fruitlessly they attempted to advance and save the townsfolk, but the demons came at them with a fury.

 _"Oh, my God!"_ Tifa was floating nearby. _"My town!"_

Aerith looked at her, then at the demons. They would have to belong to—

A looming, sinister being had formed out of nothing, and it was floating towards the congregation of escaping citizens. Some were crushed in the crowd, some were being savaged by sharp claws, and a precious few were running through the darkness and away from the ruined festival. The being, like a black hooded reaper, held a scythe. It was just like the carving on the church.

The blade was swung down, and all in its way died.

The scythe left no injuries on those it passed through. It left a trail of eerie green in its wake that dissipated into the tattered cloak covering the being, then it turned to another group of helpless people to repeat the act. Demons continued to flow out of the gaping cracks in the earth as Aerith watched, spellbound and horrified.

"He's..." Zack had to choke down his roar as he deflected another impish onslaught. Sephiroth, _the_ Sephiroth, had come to reap the living again, and Hell was in his wake.

 _"What do we do?! It's killing everyone!"_ Tifa motioned towards the dark reaper. Her eyes widened. _"My grandparents are there, my friends...Cloud!"_ She floated towards the massacre.

Aerith tried fruitlessly to grab her arm, feeling a cool mist on her hand instead. "W-wait!"

"Priestess, we have to get you out of here!" Angeal cut down another demonic imp.

She tsked. "And go where? Nibelheim is destroyed, and we're about to be overrun by demons!"

"What part did we play...?" Genesis was either burning the monsters to a crisp or slashing them apart with his rapier, but those not touched by sacred flames or holy light regenerated slowly. His mind was on what they could have possibly done to assist with this horrible scenario. It tormented his mind.

Zack swatted away a demon, then his eyes glanced towards Tifa. To his disbelief, she was pulling at Sephiroth's robes. She was trying to make it stop, but she wasn't making much progress. He found himself charging towards the two; if she was trying to stop him, she would definitely need the help. "Hey! How about you pick on someone a little more up to your level!"

Sephiroth looked his way. The hood shrouded the god's face in pure darkness, if there even was a face underneath. _"There has been a change of plans."_ A skeletal hand lifted and stretched its claws out.

It felt like a strange shift in the air to the four Espers and the priestess, eerie and foreboding. Then, darkness swept over the five like a black cloak, and the sound of screams and the heat of the flames disappeared. The five fell on their bottoms in a dark and cold place.

"Where are we?" Tifa's voice sounded normal again, if rather shaken.

Zack stood up and rubbed his behind. "I dunno."

A blue light on either side of the four greeted them. Then another pair, and another, until a hall was lit by the disturbing will o' wisp lights. They looked behind them to see a thick, wooden door, decorated with a large metal skull. In front of them was a stone corridor that led into darkness, doors on its sides could be seen farther down.

Genesis made a face. "This must be Sephiroth's castle."

"...Why did he send us here?" Tifa asked.

Angeal gave her a questioning look. "Wouldn't you know?"

She frowned at him. "I have no idea what's going on. I'm just hoping this is all a nightmare, and I'm sleeping in my bed right now..."

"I assure you, this is no dream." Genesis took a few brave steps forward. "It is a nightmare, however."

In a sarcastic voice she responded, "wonderful."

Zack pat Aerith on the shoulder gently. "Hey, you okay? I mean none of us really are, but y'know..."

The priestess stared at him before blinking once, then turning her head toward the dark hall. "This isn't good. We can't go through here, this belongs to the dead."

Genesis kept walking. "He forcefully invited us like a poor host."

"If we're gonna die, let's do it fighting," Zack said to himself.

The group silently walked down the hall, watching for something to come out and attack them. Tifa, Aerith noticed, was holding herself while looking down at her feet. She seemed lost in thought. Was Tifa just a pawn in a game, she wondered? "You really have no idea what kind of power you came into, do you?"

Tifa glanced at her, then hugged herself tighter as she shook her head. "I don't. I don't understand why those three were attacking me, or why I turned into...whatever that was."

Aerith pointed at the amulet resting peacefully on the dark haired woman's chest. "That's a relic of Sephiroth's. He would grant it to his Espers, his chosen mortals."

Tifa looked down at it, then looked forward. "I found it under my pillow when I was a little girl," she admitted. "Ever since then, I've worn it."

"What?"

"I don't care if you believe me or not, it's the truth."

The five reached the end of the hall, and found themselves entering an antechamber. It was furnished with plush seats and small tables. A chandelier of silver held pale blue lights. "They never spoke of the castle looking this lively," Genesis murmured.

Angeal nodded. "They said it was completely abandoned...But then again, Sephiroth may not have been in the vicinity at the time."

Zack watched the doors for any movement. "Tight space for a fight," he remarked. The door behind them closed shut, and he rushed to pull on the handle. No matter how hard he pulled it wouldn't budge, and he let out a frustrated groan. "Guess we're stuck here for now."

The room was cold like the grave, and Aerith couldn't help but admit it had the same feeling as the church. A pang of sadness hit her heart. While they were in here, unsure of their fates, the town was being massacred. Her hand reached for the Restore materia, and she rubbed it again. Could she have done something, anything?

The minutes passed by, and everything stayed still. Tifa had opted to sit in a chair, studying her relic. It had saved her life, but was it also the source of her troubles in the first place? If she ever saw Sephiroth again, she would demand answers. Answers for that, and especially answers for killing everyone in town.

Angeal noticed the tears forming at the edges of her eyes. She held the relic, but did not yet take it off; did it hold that much sentimental value to her? He supposed it didn't matter. Sephiroth could only deny her abilities for going against him, he could not control her. That wasn't how the relationship worked between gods and mortals.

"So, you say that was under your pillow?"

Tifa's red eyes looked upward at Angeal, and she nodded. "I put my hand under the pillow, and there it was. I had been bedridden for at least a week, so I'm not sure where it came from..."

Genesis was thoughtfully rubbing his chin. "What schemes could Sephiroth possibly had in store for you?"

"My relic, however..." Angeal furrowed his brow. Alexander demanded honesty, and his relic could force it out of even the most stubborn people. "You never denied your master."

She glared at him. "I don't have a master!"

"That relic says different, y'know," Zack pointed out.

TIfa shook her head. "I never met Sephiroth in my life. I don't know why I have this..." She let out a sigh. "A new friend of mine told me that it keeps the undead away..."

"Huh?" Aerith walked up to her, then sat in the next chair over. "I don't know everything that this kind of relic can do, but it can do a lot more than that. It can summon the undead, make you undead, allow communication with the dead..."

"Is-is that why I never feel alone when I go to the cemetery?" It seemed Cloud had less information on the relic than he had led on, or was willing to say. He had been correct when he had said someone powerful had given it to her, however. Thinking of him made her feel even worse than she did already. If only she had known, she wouldn't have told him to go to the festival...But, who would have known this would occur?

The priestess nodded hesitantly. "I may have seen you go up there frequently."

Tifa bit her lip and fidgeted in her seat. "I visit my parents a lot. They died when I was young."

"Something does not add up here at all," Genesis concluded. "Not to offend you, but it seems so outlandish. Sephiroth, giving away a relic in such a reckless manner?"

The bartender shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. I'm in the dark about everything, and I..."

Zack put his hand up and looked at Genesis over his shoulder. "Hey, we'll get some answers from that lame god."

"I hope he's in the mood to entertain our questions," Angeal remarked.

"Oh, I'm getting answers," Tifa gritted out. "This is unforgivable."

The arched door in front of them creaked open slowly as they finished their conversation. Tifa stood up, ready to fight whatever was about to enter the antechamber. The three men were also readying themselves, despite the small room. Zack had his broadsword in hand, while the other two opted for magic; there was barely enough room for the young Esper to swing without possibly hitting the others. He knew he could act as a shield at the very least.

Out of the shadows of the doorway came a hunched old man wearing the pallor of death on his face; his thin and tall body was bony, and his narrow green eyes were glassy. The very top of his head was bald, and his silvery grey hair hung limply behind his large ears, ending behind the back of his shoulders. Still, he greeted them with a jolly smile and a small bow. His clothing reminded the five of a funeral director.

The man rattled out, "welcome, esteemed guests! I apologize for the long wait. I am chamberlain to the god of death. My name is Rapha." He motioned towards the room he had come from. "My master grants you an audience, devout mortals."

"An audience?" Genesis scoffed. "Pardon me if I do not trust your master's intentions."

Rapha chuckled lightheartedly. "The master can be a somber individual, and I can assure you he is not one to fool around in dire times."

Rapha stood to the side of the door, his hands clasped behind his back. "Don't keep my master waiting, now." His dead, green eyes looked Tifa up and down. "Ah, it is good to see you again, little Tifa!"

"How do you know me?" she demanded.

A small frown crossed Rapha's face. "I suppose youth can be forgetful. Perhaps my master will jog your memory."

Zack looked back and forth between Rapha and the others. "Well, I'm goin' in."

Tifa nodded and walked towards the open door. "I'm sick of waiting."

Zack came through the entrance first, and was greeted to another blue hued room. There was a long carpet of black velvet beneath his feet, and a long, wooden table on either side of it. Multiple chairs sat unused with silver plates and chalices, the silverware laying upon rich fabric napkins. It reminded the five of a funeral reception that had yet to start.

The stone walls were covered in rich tapestries that illustrated the triumph of death over all things, or that death was also that which life sprung from. Not a single window could be found, only ghostly lights bright enough to illuminate the space now occupied by the five wary travelers.

At the end of the room, on a platform of raised stone, was an ebony throne of simple design. It was wide enough for two men to sit upon, and cushioned with a dark material. Here and there were silver accents in the shape of tiny skulls or mortuary flowers.

The god was nowhere to be seen.

"Where are you?! Come out here, you coward!" Tifa was marching towards the throne. The other four couldn't help but balk at the audacity of the situation; she was supposedly Sephiroth's Esper, though their discussion earlier made it seem she might have just been a pawn of his. One he had seeded a long time ago.

A dark gloom coalesced upon the throne, and that very same reaper that was at the festival sat upon it with a skeletal hand lazily propping its hooded head up. The tattered edges of the robe flowed down the top step of the raised floor; it looked ethereal at the very end.

Out of the robe billowed a green energy that trailed away and towards the tables. It quickly coalesced into a multitude of people sitting at the tables and standing behind the chairs, murmuring between each other. They ignored the five and the god they had sprung out of.

Tifa froze as she came up the first step towards him. She quickly scanned the tables full of ghosts, then stared at the black shadow that was his face studying her intently. _"Here I am."_


	6. You Aren't?

Tifa swallowed hard as she gazed into the blackness of the hood. She was confronting the personification of death, and he was patiently regarding her. It didn't matter at this point for her, everything was gone. Tifa narrowed her eyes and pointed a finger at him. "You monster...My friends, my family...They're dead because of you!"

_"Everything that lives, dies. By my hand or by those demons, those people were to die tonight."_

"You say it so flippantly!"

The god angled his head in such a way that most would consider murderously intimidating. _"There was nothing flippant about what I did tonight, Tifa."_

"Easy for you to say!" Tifa lifted her relic from her neck and shook it in front of him. "And what about this?" Her other hand pointed back at the three Espers. "I was almost killed because those three idiots think I'm your servant or something!"

_"You are my Esper. You completed a geas."_

"When?" she asked between gritted teeth.

_"...You came here when you were eight."_

Genesis raised his brows. He had been content to allow Tifa her release, but curiosity was getting the better of his hostility towards the deity. "Eight? You made an eight year old your Esper?"

The deity shrugged. _"She completed the geas. I am obliged to create an Esper if a mortal completes one."_ He again turned towards Tifa, her red eyes watery yet hard. _"There is not a lot of time left, and there is much to do. We must move quickly."_

Angeal scoffed. "'We'?" He motioned at those in the group. "I don't think any of us, including your Esper, wish to be a part of your plans any longer."

The reaper tapped his bony claws on the armrest of the throne and shook his head. _"This isn't the time for pettiness, Esper."_

"I think it's time for some explanations," Zack replied.

_"I'll do what I can with the time we have..."_

Aerith looked back and forth between them, and she was beginning to gawk as her powers slowly revealed important information that led to deeper mysteries. "E-Everyone—"

"My grandparents, friends..." Tifa looked down. "Cloud..." Even if she barely knew him, she felt a connection to him. They could've been good friends. Tifa felt like she had sent him to his death when she talked about the festival. Then again, the town was reduced to rubble as it was; everyone in Nibelheim had been in danger the moment that earthquake struck. "Why did you kill them?"

Sephiroth shook his cowled head. _"They were going to die, Tifa. I only saved them from a worse fate."_

Tifa stared at him. "A worse fate?" she spat out. "Maybe if you hadn't shown up to kill them all with your demons and earthquake, they'd still be alive!" She let out an exasperated sigh. "But you want to convince me that it was for the greater good that everyone died."

The god sighed long and low. _"I never said it was a greater good. It was a lesser evil. I didn't come to Nibelheim with the intention of reaping everyone."_

"Yeah, I bet!"

"Tifa," Aerith called, walking up behind her. "That...He's not Sephiroth. Or maybe he is, I..."

"He's not?" Angeal inquired. "Then who is he?"

_"I'm the god of the dead."_

Aerith tsked. "I know that! You have a lot of explaining to do, Cloud!"

Tifa's face warped with shock. "Cloud...?"

The reaper sighed, and was soon replaced with a stone faced Cloud, dressed in the dark attire he wore to the festival. His blue eyes were regarding Tifa quietly. "Yes, it's me."

Her eyes widened. The others were expecting her to perhaps take a step back, or maybe scream at him. Instead, Cloud had his head turned a little as she socked him in the jaw, then she grabbed at his collar. "You son of a bitch monster!"

He rose up and grabbed her shoulders before forcing her to her knees. Still, she struggled in the god's grip. "Tifa. Let me explain."

"How could you possibly explain away what you did..." She was beginning to tear up again, and she looked down towards his feet. Cloud released his grip, and sat back down again with a heavy hand on her shoulder.

Genesis took a step forward and waved his hand in Tifa's direction. "I have to agree with her. How can you rationalize your actions?"

Cloud glanced down at him, then sighed as he reclined on his throne. Tifa still sat on her knees, silent and looking defeated. "...I returned to Nibelheim because a mass casualty event was going to occur. I can sense death, it's a part of my very being. When many people are slated to possibly die, I can feel it." He looked at Aerith with a meaningful stare.

She took out the Restore materia he had given her that morning. "So this..."

He nodded. "I was hoping you could heal those not too far gone. The Espers could rescue others, that...that was my plan. I...did not know what was going to happen, only that something would happen. I thought it might be an accident or maybe a natural disaster.

"But it wasn't. I was prepared to quickly reap those who wouldn't be able to make it..." He looked away. "But it turned out to be something far worse."

Angeal shifted on his feet. "Those demons weren't sent by you?"

"No. When they appeared, they left me with no choice if I was going to save their souls from Abyssion. The demons would have devoured everything, body and soul."

"I thought Sephiroth was the god of death, and he was buddy buddy with Abyssion?" Zack inquired.

Cloud returned his gaze to them. "Sephiroth was the god of death. Was. I was his Esper, five hundred years ago."

Tifa looked up at him while rubbing a tear stained cheek. "What?"

He looked down at her and nodded. "I was his favored Esper. The day he went mad, my family was killed, along with most of the population of Nibelheim. I challenged him for what he did."

"You challenged a god? How did you survive?" Genesis asked.

"I took him from behind as he rambled about being 'chosen'. Chosen to destroy this world and recreate it in his and Abyssion's image." Cloud leaned forward. "He...was laughing as his power transferred into me. I don't know how he did it or why."

Cloud stood up from his throne and waved his hand. "Enough talk, we can do that later. We have to move, and soon. Abyssion is returning, and he has to be stopped permanently."

"How do you propose we do that?" Angeal asked, his eyes betraying his distrust.

"Creation's Spear."

Aerith wagged her finger. "It's been broken into three pieces, and we only know where one piece is! And a god can't use the spear..."

"Espers can't, either," Cloud drawled out. "You're neither."

She shook her head. "Y-you can't be serious..."

"Death is a pretty serious character," the god said in a sardonic tone. "If we can do this...If we can stop Abyssion, the world would no longer be threatened with destruction." He motioned for her to come closer, and after a few moments of hesitation she did so. Cloud waved his hand in front of him, and a wooden pole piece appeared in the air in front of him. "Take it."

Slowly Aerith grasped the pole piece, and she gasped as the dormant power within revealed itself to her. "This...This is real. The spear Minerva used to create everything..."

"The goddess has been silent since the day Abyssion rose and Sephiroth betrayed Her. Where did you find this?" Genesis inquired.

Cloud looked at him. "I found it a few centuries ago, after some necromancers thought to summon me." He smirked at the Esper. "Did you think I wasn't busy the last five centuries, cleaning up after Sephiroth?"

"But why? Why didn't you speak up to the other gods?" Angeal asked with an edge of suspicion.

The god looked away with a bitter expression. "Most of them didn't believe me. I was Sephiroth's Esper. Why would I betray him?" He looked back. "Only Phoenix, Alexander and Odin believed me. Bahamut reserved judgement until I proved myself one way or another. So, I've worked in the shadows as the centuries went on."

Angeal shook his head in disbelief. "But we are tasked in finding you and sealing you away!"

"Since most of the gods had shunned me, there was no choice in the matter. If I am found by their Espers they can seal me away, since you now work directly under the church as the gods look for Minerva and tend to their duties." Cloud shrugged slowly. "Alexander is an honorable god, Angeal. But he can not go against the others."

"What of Phoenix?" Genesis asked.

"I work with her when it's time to rebirth souls, it's allowed," Cloud replied. "I understand that this has been a jarring night for you all, but we have to move. Those demons are probably after the seal that binds Kadaj."

Aerith's eyes widened. "The Plaguebringer...He was sealed away close to Nibelheim."

Tifa was standing up, holding her torso tightly again. "And I guess you want me to be along for the ride," she whispered.

The god scoffed. "If it makes you feel any better, I wasn't planning on revealing myself quite like this to you."

She gave him a sharp look. "Don't even think for a second I'm going to treat you like a master, do you understand me?"

Cloud studied her, then nodded. "You've been on a loose leash, anyway." He stepped away from his throne and towards the rest of the group, oblivious to the murderous glare Tifa sported on her face. "I have an idea as to where the rest of the spear is. Follow me, I have some supplies you can use."

The five very cautiously followed the death god out of the throne room, but not before Tifa took a long parting glance at the souls congregating in the room, still ignorant of their existence. She noticed a few familiar faces, and looked away as she choked down her tears. As they walked through the antechamber and towards a room down the main hallway, Cloud spoke as he walked. "I'm a god, but I can't tell you the future. Only that I sense many people will die again soon. This time, it will be near Junon."

"Junon...?" Angeal gasped. "Yazoo the Madness was sealed outside the city!"

"Yep."

Zack rubbed the back of his head. "So how do we stop it?"

Cloud shrugged as he continued on. "Getting an audience with Alexander could possibly do it."

Angeal was silent as they crossed into the hallway and up towards a particular room. They would have to separate. "Then, I will go to Junon."

Genesis put a hand on his shoulder. "Not without me, you won't."

Cloud stopped at the heavy wooden door. "Alright. The rest of us will head to Wutai and ask nicely for the bottom part of the spear from the royal family."

Tifa blinked rapidly for a few seconds. "Beg your pardon?"

He shrugged, arms out in front of him in a helpless gesture. "This is kind of important, you know. We're getting that piece one way or another."

She shook her head in disbelief at him. "You barely act like a god."

"It's been a while since I wasn't, but I'm glad I still have that mortal personality going for me," he said dryly.

He opened the door to a room illuminated in blue. There were chests of treasure, weapons, materia and armor. Cloud stretched out his hand. "If you find something of use, take it."

Aerith scratched the back of her head, near her ribbon. "Ah, thank you..." She wondered if she should use an epithet for a deity; she was a priestess, after all. "...King of the Mountain!"

His hand plopped to his side, and he let out an amused snort. "I think it'll be alright if you just used my name, Aerith."

She clasped her hands behind her back, and bent at her hip while looking upward into his eyes. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. Now get ready. It's only a matter of time before the demons and even Kadaj come this way, and I want to seal the castle away again."

Angeal and Genesis ignored the weapons and armor for the materia cache, looking over which could be of use to them and the others. Their powers were strong but limited, so they agreed that some select baubles would compliment what they could do. Soon after, they went through a coin pile with a knapsack that had been left on the ground.

Zack took a look at some of the armor, and settled on some small metal pauldrons to keep his shoulders safe. He rummaged about some more, and found an armlet that fit him well; a couple of materia slots were to be found on it, and he headed towards the materia to see what he would like.

Aerith took a glance at the weapon racks on the wall and the table beneath them that held various tools of war on it. She looked at a silver rod that she thought she might be able to use as a walking stick, or something to push away troublesome wildlife. It wasn't very heavy, and it could hold a few materia. The spear pole, she noted, could go on her back with the pole: There was a double sheath she could strap to her back that was holding two maces. She took them out, placed the leather item on her back and strapped it on. She sheathed both the rod and the pole.

She took a look at Tifa, who was studying her relic and not much else. It was in the palm of her hand, chain and all. Aerith put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey."

Tifa blinked quickly as she turned to look the priestess' way. "I'm fine," she said unconvincingly.

"I know you're upset, but I think you should keep that on for now."

Tifa lowered her gaze towards the relic. She looked ready to toss it. "I don't know if I want it anymore."

Aerith gave her an understanding look. "Maybe you should think a little more on it. That little thing has been with you a long time, hasn't it?" Her eyes went to Cloud, who wasn't paying attention to them. He was looking down at his feet with his arms crossed. She looked back at Tifa. "I think when you finally get a chance to talk to him alone, you'll know for sure what you want to do."

Tifa looked at Cloud, then her. Slowly, she nodded. "Maybe. There's just so many questions..."

The priestess nodded. She wanted more answers, too. "Right now, we should keep one step ahead of Abyssion."

"Yeah." Tifa hesitantly put the relic on, then looked at some of the gloves and armlets laying on the table. A pair of studded gloves caught her eye, and she put them on. They would protect her hands, her weapons. She tried on a metal armlet after pulling back her sweater sleeve, then went to the materia cache to look for what would compliment her. A few purple materia and a pocketful of coins later she felt prepared.

"All done?" Cloud probed. The five nodded at him, and he dropped his arms away from his chest. "I'm gonna teleport us to the other side of the mountain."

"Couldn't you teleport us closer to where we have to go?" Tifa asked, genuinely uncertain.

"Sorry, but I can only teleport others to here, and just outside the mountain. We'll have to travel like normal people after we get away from the Nibel area." Cloud raised his hands, and darkness shrouded the six. They appeared on a moonlit hill, Mount Nibel looming far behind them and crags that led to lowlands in front of them. "Let's mosey."

"Um, to where, exactly?" Aerith asked.

Cloud pointed in the dark. "This way. We can reach Corel in a day's travel, but there's a village a few hours away where you can rest."

"We might get there after the inn closes for the night, though," Zack pointed out.

"Right...I'll go there and arrange a few rooms. Just keep walking this way, and I'll find you when I'm done."

Tifa rubbed her relic. Because she has this, she thought.

Genesis and Angeal still felt unsure about this unusual alliance. How much was truth, how much were lies? They had been spared tonight, but was it for ulterior motives? They would have to separate to journey to Junon. Nibelheim was dead. They were with the so called god of the dead.

Cloud disappeared into the darkness, leaving the group to their thoughts. Was this right, was it a trap? They had a piece of Creation's Spear. Was it just a way to manipulate Aerith into doing his bidding? As they walked through the chilly night with the moon climbing the sky, they wondered if they had gotten in over their heads.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now the adventure part of the story begins. With still more questions, especially for poor Tifa.


	7. A God's Perspective

Cloud opened the door to the inn moments after appearing out of the shadows of a nearby alley. It was warm and smelled of the hearth and fresh potpourri. A pale old man that sat on a chair looked up from his newspaper and regarded him quietly after a dry cough; the god could sense he would be in his domain soon, regardless if the demons in Nibelheim would come this way sooner rather than later. Cloud greeted him with a nod as he came up to the desk. "I need lodging for the night."

"Hm." The innkeeper put his paper down and lifted himself from his seat to place his hands on the counter, then let out a sniffle. He gave the god a piercing look with his old, rheumy brown eyes. "Just you, Sonny?"

Cloud shook his head. "Two women, and three men, please. They should be here in a few hours."

"They all want separate bedrooms?"

The god blinked slowly at the question. He hadn't traveled with others in so long... "Uh, just two bedrooms."

The old man nodded, then began fumbling with the keys underneath the counter. He brought out a pair of bronze keys, one with a white tag and the other with a blue one. "White's the two bed, blue is the three bed."

Cloud took the keys with a grateful nod after placing enough coins to cover the cost. "Thank you."

"Mm. I'll be retirin' soon, but if you need anything don't hesitate to call."

"Alright." He left the inn as quietly as he had entered, and took a look at the moonlit sky as he stood on the sidewalk. This was the beginning of the end of this world if they couldn't repair the spear and stop Abyssion, the god from the gaping maw of the Void. He had hoped that the god had disappeared back to where he originated, that Minerva had done something to stop him and now she rested somewhere in the heavens or the earth.

Cloud bit his lip as he walked off. It would be an uphill battle.

After all this time, he still wondered what had happened to his former master. Did he go to Abyssion's side? His soul had been nowhere to be found in his castle nor the underworld, and Cloud had searched both thoroughly. Still dwelling on that, he decided that he would make a pit stop in Nibelheim before rendezvousing with his new party. Shadow wrapped him as he hid again, and he was immediately looking over Nibelheim from the vantage point of an old graveyard, the same one he occasionally saw Tifa in.

The town was in absolute ruins, and demons flowed to a point far past the outskirts. Cloud wondered if Ifrit could sense his old foe reawakening; he certainly did. Kadaj would bring disease and decay to the world, Yazoo would drive mortals mad, and Loz would make them all hate each other. Three trumpeters for Abyssion, the fourth gone missing.

Sephiroth.

The once cool and collected god had been his master. Cloud had once been sent wherever needed to be of service to the god. Once he had finally left the mortal coil he would have been one of the guardians of the underworld until perhaps he was reborn again. But in some horrible twist of fate, Sephiroth joined the god of destruction, then fell to Cloud's blade. Cloud was certain it was on purpose, why else would he sound so triumphant as he dissipated? Sephiroth allowed it. Why? Why...

"Greetings, brother."

Cloud jumped as he turned around and narrowed his eyes. The one who dragged him out of his thoughts was none other than Kadaj. The silver haired god smiled evilly at Cloud, his green eyes glinting orange from the dimming fires of Nibelheim. "I see you left no survivors in that town down there." He cocked his head and crossed his arms, wearing the finest of black leathers about his body. "Have a change of heart?"

The god of death scowled at him. "You won't get away this."

Kadaj snickered. "Oh, we will, brother. One by one we will be released, and then soon after He will come to create a new world for us all to rule."

Cloud shook his head. "I rule over corpses as it is. It's not all it's chalked up to be."

"I'm sure we'll make do," Kadaj purred back. He walked a few paces to view the ruined and smoldering town. "Sephiroth had high hopes for you. Maybe you still have it in you."

Cloud had had enough. "They'll put you back into the ground, Kadaj, and I'll help them."

"Who, the little lost church and Minerva's children, still looking for their lost mother?" Kadaj let out a laugh. "Let me tell you something, brother. Minerva is dead, and we have you to thank for it."

"What?" Cloud shook his head. "Liar."

"I hate liars, brother." 

"Stop calling me that," the god snapped.

Kadaj laughed again, then waved his hand flippantly. "I have things to do, and I'm sure we'll meet again soon. I'll make sure you don't get to the mortals before our legions have had their fill, next time." The god faded away into the night after a mocking wave of his hand.

Cloud wished he could do something, but it wasn't within his power to do so. Not by himself. The other gods and their Espers would have to fight Kadaj. The deity let out a sigh as he looked over his burning hometown, his shame returning to him before he faded away and back to the group of mortals he had left an hour ago.

He blinked a few times as he noticed his Esper was pummeling a stray Nibel Wolf with a ferocity most could not match, the other Espers and the priestess watching her as they stood within a wide semicircle of dead wolves. The wolf Tifa attacked was dead already, but she wasn't stopping.

"I can't let you out of my sight—"

Tifa's eyes snapped up to look at him as he began his snarky entrance, and they narrowed. "Welcome back," she interrupted curtly. Her foot gave the wolf a firm, final kick, then she turned around and began to walk off in the direction of the village again.

"Thanks." He glanced at the others, then pointed at Tifa. Zack gave him a helpless shrug and mouthed "I have no idea" at him. Cloud nodded back, then pat his pocket as they all began walking again. He came to Aerith's side and held out the key to the room with two beds. "This room is for you and Tifa," he said quietly.

Aerith looked down at his hand, then took the key with a soft "thank you."

He came up to Angeal and handed him the other key. Cloud felt like he was the leader of the group for now, and Genesis was his close second in command. He fleetingly wondered how close the two were before again looking ahead and at Tifa.

He knew from the instant he met her, she was going to be a handful.

Cloud just hadn’t known how much of one she really would be. Certainly he had watched over her from time to time when he was in the area, but he had wanted her to have a childhood before explaining to her that she stumbled into being a shunned god's Esper. But not like this.

He wondered if Nibelheim happened the way it did just to make him suffer, but he shoved the thought away. Abyssion would barely know of him. 

"What's Fenrir gonna think," Zack mumbled to himself.

Aerith let out a sigh. "The church won't be happy about this at all."

"There won't be a church to disapprove of you soon enough if we don't stop what's to happen," Cloud retorted. 

Zack shrugged despite facing the back of Cloud's head. "I still don't know if we can trust you or not. No offense."

Cloud looked back at him with a frown marring his face. "I'm not asking you to trust me completely—"

"You kinda did," Aerith corrected.

"You took us into your realm, then after five hundred years of sulking in the shadows, you appear and tell us you want to save the world. After reaping every last soul in Nibelheim, too," Genesis drawled out. 

Angeal hummed in agreement. "We have no choice at the moment but to follow your lead, deity. Time will tell if you're sincere or not."

Cloud walked silently for a few moments, then snorted. "I go through too much after giving you mortals what assistance I could."

"You forced this on us," Tifa growled.

Cloud turned his head back. "Then go off somewhere and live your life until Abyssion or his demons devour you." He wasn't given a reply, and he appreciated that. He was starting to remember why he disliked working with mortals, as much as a large part of him wanted to be one again.

It had been so nice eating breakfast with Tifa, just another person in town and not what he was now.

The group walked silently through the wilderness, and after the moon was beginning to crest the village came into view. "Finally!" Zack cheered.

"It hasn't been that long a walk, pup," Angeal gently chastised.

Genesis said, "still, we will have to get a good night's rest."

Angeal nodded. “We must try and contact the church in Junon, too. There’s no cell phone reception out here.”

"I could use a shower," Aerith said to no one in particular. Cloud figured the sensitive woman wanted to rinse away the feeling of the demons and his realm to boot. Not an unreasonable desire at all.

Tifa still said nothing, and Cloud figured she was still fuming over what he had to do and mourning those lost. He wondered how detached the centuries had made him, though he still felt a modicum of sorrow when he had to visit a place of death. Reaping all of Nibelheim was a pain he had had to bear through, after seeing nearly the same thing occur half a millennia earlier.

Half an hour later they came to the entrance of the village, and Cloud guided them to the inn. The owner had already gone to bed, the counter locked up for the night, but the lounging area was still lit with the light of the fireplace and a few dull lamps. Cloud decided he could wait down here as the mortals rested. The last person they probably wanted to see for the rest of the night was him.

He walked over to the couch in front of the fireplace and sat, quietly regarding the flames flickering within. He turned his head when he heard Zack speak to him. "Hey, you're...not bunking with the rest of us?"

Cloud regarded him for a moment, then shook his head faintly. "There's only three beds..."

"Oh. Well I mean, Maybe Angeal and Genesis can share a bed." Zack scratched the back of his head as the others walked up the stairs.

"...I appreciate it, but I don't really need to sleep, you know."

Zack nodded, then gave a small wave. "Right...Well, g'night."

"Good night," the god replied back before turning his head to stare at the flames again. When was the last time he wished someone good night, and not after releasing them from life? Too long. This was going to be a hard journey.

He found some book that had been left for guests and began reading it, then he fell into his thoughts again. Cloud wondered if there was something he could have done in regards to Kadaj, but all options would lead to him going to Cosmo Canyon to give a futile warning to Ifrit. He was sure the fire god would figure it out very soon, anyway, so there was no use in the action.

He had to see to it that Angeal and Genesis made it to Junon safely before Yazoo was released, but they would have to part at Costa del Sol. Cloud doubted they could stop his reemergence, but it was best to try while the rest gathered the pieces of Creation's Spear. Wutai...If Leviathan was in the area, he would not be pleased.

"Cloud?"

He brought his gaze to Aerith, who was sitting down next to him. Her pink bow had been taken off, and her long hair cascaded down her back in chestnut colored waves. "Priestess?"

She smiled a little. "Aerith's fine, you know." She looked at her lap a moment before returning her eyes to his. "I'm sorry if we came off a little terse earlier, but I'm hoping you understand why we're still wary."

After a long moment he slowly nodded. "I do." He looked down. "I'm sorry you were all dragged into this. But, it's something I can't do alone."

"Hm. Is that why you spared us?" she asked casually.

Cloud shrugged as his eyes gazed on her again. "It's not like I could bring the whole living village to the castle, you know. I'm not the god of teleportation, or I would have. But you five had been headstrong, and those three Espers had been hellbent in seeking out Tifa after I warned them away." A small chuckle escaped his lips. "I figured if there was anything this quest needed, it would be stubborn people."

Aerith let out a small and short laugh, almost an amused sigh. "Do you think we can do it?"

"We have to." His face became forlorn. "It can't end like this."

She nodded. "Well, we have the god of death with us, I'm sure we'll make it just fine."

"That was a joke, right?"

"Was it?" Her brow quirked up.

He looked away and hid his smile. This was going to be hard. He knew it was going to be hard. He knew he was going to grow attached after avoiding the feeling for such a long time. He would have preferred to do it alone and not have to deal with mortal things, like emotions. But here he was, bonding. Bonding...

"Hm. In your church, I felt that power you hid from us as you walked around town. I wondered what it could have meant." Tentatively, she touched his hand as it rested on the couch. He tensed, but didn't push it away. She already had touched him before. "I think...we can trust you."

He looked back. "Is that what you feel?"

Aerith nodded. "I do."

Cloud stayed quiet for a minute, then moved his hand to fiddle with the other one's thumb. "...I'm happy I have your confidence," he said quietly. "I'll do my best to keep you safe."

She cocked her head. "Like a bodyguard?"

"Mhm. A bodyguard." He motioned his head towards the stairs. "We can talk more later. You should get some rest. I'll keep watch for any trouble."

Aerith nodded, then stood up from the couch. "Good night, Cloud."

"Good night."

He reclined into the sofa again, watching the flames lick at the logs in the fireplace. Aerith had been brave enough to approach him, as if he were just another person. He wondered why, considering what he had done that night in front of their eyes. Did she understand that it wasn't a choice?

Tifa had refused to look at him since he reappeared in the wilderness. He couldn't blame her if she hated him, she was a mortal, after all. She wouldn't understand what had to be done sometimes, at least not yet. He thought that perhaps he had made a mistake when he decided to not interfere with her childhood. It would have been easier on her if he had kept contact, but it wasn't as if he could stay in one place for too long.

Espers would occasionally climb up the mountain to spy into his castle, always hoping to catch him while he was there and the realm of the dead had merged with the world of the living. They were always too late. Cloud knew what they were to do if they found him, and the church had artifacts made to seal away wayward deities. He often wondered how long it would take before he was accepted into the pantheon, and he supposed if he succeeded with this misadventure they would have no choice but to bring him into the fold.

He stood up and put another log onto the fire. He watched it while listening to the old man periodically cough in his bedroom, somewhere behind the counter. Cloud kept watch over the fire for a while, then quietly left the inn to watch over the town. The air outside was crisp and held the barest hints of the scent of frost. 

He made his way towards the walls of the village, then looked up at Mount Nibel as it loomed far in the distance. The moon illuminated the barely discernible castle up upon the summit, his realm safe from Kadaj's demons for now. Perhaps until Abyssion rose it would stand, he thought to himself. Cloud took a lonesome stroll outside the walls and within, looking for any inkling that a demon had strayed this way.

Again he returned to the inn after several hours of patrol, and he noticed the coughs coming from the bedroom again. They were a little different, weaker, wetter. Cloud made his way into the bedroom behind the counter as little more than a shade, looking down at the man who fretted in his bed.

The old man took notice after a while, but only seemed surprised for a moment before coughing again. "Comin' to finish me off?"

"...If you want me to," Cloud replied quietly. "You are dying."

The innkeeper slowly shuffled about his mattress, sitting upright and watching as the deity took a corporeal form. "Ah, it's you. I thought there was somethin' off about you."

The old man thought for a few minutes, coughing here and there. Cloud quietly regarded him. "My health has taken a nosedive, King of the Mountain. I can feel my days are numbered. It hurts to move my joints, to breathe..."

Cloud wasn't too surprised by the welcome he received. Older people rarely looked at him with terror if he came to visit, just resignation. Why would they be afraid? He couldn't cut their lives short. "I understand."

The innkeeper nodded, then slowly laid back down again with Cloud's help. "It's been so long since I really enjoyed living..."

"You'll live again someday. But for now I'll let you rest, if you wish."

A smile grew on the old man's lips after he let out a wheeze. "I'd like that. To see my wife again...King of the Mountain, take me, please."

Cloud nodded before he put his hand on the man's wrinkled forehead, and soon his soul fled his used body after a final breath. The god raised his hand, then stood over the corpse. This was what he brought himself into after facing Sephiroth, and he would see to it that he did what his former master abandoned. He would bring dignity back to this harsh realm that held up and fed off of life.

“Good night.”


	8. Joyride

Genesis impatiently looked about the empty room, the fire now red embers and the innkeeper still in bed. The Esper may have slept well under the circumstances, but if there was anything Zack and especially Angeal knew about Genesis, it was that he was a total crank before his morning coffee. "Where is that so-called god?"

Angeal gave a withering look to Genesis for his tart morning grumblings. "He probably went out for provisions, that is if he remembered that mortals need to eat."

Zack stretched his back, letting out a loud pop. "Cloud knew we needed sleep, so maybe he's gettin' breakfast."

"Hopefully he realizes _some_ of us need coffee."

"Hm." Angeal led the other two out the door and into the cool morning air of the village. It was later than any of them would have liked to have slept, especially without a vehicle to make up for lost time. They needed extra clothing, food, and some sort of cell phone reception that this village did not entertain. Everything was landlines still, and the inn didn't even have those in working order. "I suppose I will see to us getting a vehicle, if there's any place to rent one out here, that is."

"You better let Genesis drive this time, we can't take it easy with this new mission, y'know."

Angeal glared at his student. "I wasn't planning on going nice and easy."

"Good, then I will take the wheel," Genesis said with his hands on his hips. A low, clunky sound began to grow louder.

An old truck came from behind the corner and pulled up in front of the inn, and to the trio's surprise Cloud looked back at them from the driver's side window. His arm was laying out the opening, and his other hand cranked the truck into park before he opened the door and exited with a bag in his hand. "This should get us to Corel. I don't know how fast, though."

Genesis pushed by him as the two women exited the inn. "I will get us where we need to go, and quickly, too."

"If you say so."

Angeal walked in front of the truck. "I call shotgun," he deadpanned.

"What? Hey!" Zack began to pout. "I don't wanna ride in the back!"

As Aerith passed by and dropped her coat into the back she said, "looks like it'll be the four of us back here. It...It'll hold us, right?"

"It should," Cloud replied as he hopped onto the flatbed. He held out his hand to her. She took it, then Zack scrambled in. Tifa stood there for a few moments, her expression a cross between a glower and uncertainty. Cloud motioned with his hand for her to take it.

She looked at it, then scooted in without his help. Tifa sat herself next to Aerith as Cloud situated himself next to Zack, who was resting near the front cabin. The truck lurched, then they began to move. The village began to pass them by, and soon they left and were on the way towards Corel, the sun beaming down upon them.

Cloud looked through the sack he was carrying, then handed a few containers to Zack. "It's some food I picked up earlier."

"Uh, thanks! I was starving."

The god held out the last two paper containers to the women as Zack stuck his head through the back window of the truck. Aerith graciously took hers, but Tifa was more hesitant. She finally gave in as her stomach protested loudly. Tifa opened it up and stared at the contents; it was two slices of sweet toast with berry compote in the middle. She went to glare at Cloud, but he was looking the way the truck had come with a contemplative gaze.

She had expected a mocking smirk, but she thought that perhaps she was making him out to be more cruel than he actually was. Aerith had said last night in their room that she should talk to him, but this was the same being that killed everyone in Nibelheim, regardless of the reason. The priestess had said she felt he wasn't malevolent. He probably wasn't, she thought, but still...

Tifa cut into the sweet bread with the little plastic fork that came with it. She wondered what she should say to him, where to even begin. Why he made her an Esper, that would be a good start, she thought. But not now, not when there were all these eyes that would be on them. She wasn't as angry as she was last night, and she blushed a little at the memory despite feeling completely justified.

"Hey, when'd you learn how to drive?" Zack was looking at Cloud, his mouth half full of the large breakfast sandwich he was munching on. He was holding a brown paper cup on his knee; there had been coffee in the front of the truck.

Cloud turned to look at him, blinked, then realized he was the one being addressed. "A long time ago."

Zack swallowed his mouthful and motioned around with his sandwich. "Yeah, but I mean...you're a god. You don't have to use a car to get where you're going."

The god had a small smile growing on his face. "I don't, but do you really think I wouldn't be interested in these things?"

The Esper shrugged. "I figured there were more interesting things out there for a god to play with."

Cloud let out a short chuckle. "I'm still a man, you know."

"You're also Death," Aerith pointed out dryly.

The god nodded slowly. "They say Death rides a pale chocobo, but I think I prefer motorcycles."

Zack started to grin. "Bet you I could beat you in a race."

"I doubt it."

"Old men always drive slow," the Esper said with a glint in his indigo eyes. He heard Aerith snicker behind her hand.

Cloud narrowed his eyes. "Are you challenging a god? The god of the dead, no less, to a race?"

Zack rubbed the back of his head. "Eheh. I—"

Cloud pointed at him with a smug smirk. "You're on, Zack."

The Esper laughed, then bit into his sandwich again. He was going to some day race a god, if they made it through this adventure in one piece. Zack considered Cloud to be more personable than he had let on at first. Maybe, he thought, he was lonely. A god with the kind of office Cloud commanded had to be lonely. He glanced at the god and noticed his eyes had that faraway look to them again as he gazed at the side of the mountain pass they were beginning to transverse, behind Tifa and Aerith as they ate.

"So...We're gonna go to Corel, and then from there I guess it'll be Costa del Sol," Zack mused out loud. "And then we split up."

"Have you ever been to those places?" Tifa asked after finishing her sweet toast.

He nodded. "Yeah. Corel is up in the mountains, kinda dry and a little dirty 'cause of the coal mines. Costa del Sol is a vacation spot, but I'm sure you know that." Zack smiled. "The beaches there really do have white sand."

"I've always wanted to go there," Tifa replied. "This is my first time out of Nibelheim."

"Really?" Zack and Aerith asked together.

"Mhm. I've never had the chance to leave." She glanced at Cloud, but he was staring into his lap. "I've never seen the beach or the plains, just Mount Nibel and the valley that hosted my town."

"Sounds kinda boring," Zack replied with a tinge of understanding.

"It...was." She brought her knees up and held them. Nibelheim was gone now. How long would it be before anyone discovered what had happened? The town was gone, everyone was gone. The being who sat near her reaped them all and said it was for the best. It just seemed so flippant. Why did Aerith say they could trust him? What did he say to her downstairs when she insisted on speaking with him while she took a shower?

"There's something coming this way," Aerith said quietly. She was looking back the way they came.

The others in the flatbed observed the road they had passed by. There was nothing at first, then a trickle of darkness poured off of the cliff face the truck had just zoomed by. It was a small stream that reminded them of oil. It fell to the road, then began to form into a winged demon with amber eyes.

It let out a screech that sounded like a chorus of dying people, then flew towards the truck.

"I'll catch up!" Cloud lunged at it, then kicked it into the road as he floated above it. He wasn't sure how he was going to dispatch something that couldn't actually die, it would just reform either here or nearby.

It recovered, then quickly oozed on the road and behind the god and continued towards the truck as it reformed from a pool of darkness. Cloud flew behind it and stuck and split it with a materialized blade, only for it to seep back together again. He cursed under his breath. Death was useless against something like this.

It turned its head and just for an instant, he swore those eyes were green. Cloud froze, then the demon went back to its duty.

He knew it was after the truck and most assuredly the spear piece. If it fell out of their hands, the planet was doomed. Cloud quickly followed behind it, frustrated by his powerlessness. He saw Zack standing on the back of the truck, his greatsword held in his hand like a giant baseball bat. The demon shot forward and he whacked it with the blunt side, sending it into the wall of the mountain pass with a splat.

Cloud teleported back into the back of the truck. Genesis was going as fast as he safely could on the deserted road, and Angeal was hanging out of the passenger side window, attempting to set up a protective shield around the truck. Cloud kept near Aerith, who was watching with dread interest as Zack again swatted at the demon. Tifa kept herself at the ready, knowing she couldn't face off against the thing but willing to help stop it.

_Use it._

Something inside Aerith burned. Not in a bad way, but like a flow of energy similar to the occasions she helped officiate holiday rituals for one deity or another. Use it. Use it. Use it. "Use it," she whispered.

"Huh?" Tifa glanced down at her, then back at the demon as it clawed Zack's wrist. Cloud again tried to fight it, all in vain. Angeal let loose a Holy spell, blasting the demon back and tearing at its body. It was knocked back for just a few precious moments, then began swiping at Zack and Tifa while ignoring Cloud.

Then it faded with a wail that disappeared into the rush of the wind.

"What? Where'd it go?" Zack looked about for the demon. The sky, the road zooming by below, the sides of the mountain pass they were almost through. It was gone.

Cloud looked over at Aerith, then raised his brows. She was holding the piece of Creation's Spear, pointing it and staring at the area the demon had been occupying. Aerith slowly blinked, then looked at the others as a grumbled argument as to whether they should stop the truck to make sure they were alright began in the truck cabin. The god sat back down, his blue eyes watching her with interest. "You used the spear piece..."

Aerith's eyes went to the piece in her hand. "Oh." She slowly returned it to her back harness, then situated herself with an unnerved expression on her face. She searched Cloud's eyes for answers, but his expression was neutral as always. "I didn't know I could use it for that."

"Neither did I."

Zack pushed between them, sat by Cloud, then yelled into the truck, "keep goin', we're fine!"

Everyone fell into silence, watching for anymore demons or even a random monster. Cloud contemplated what he had seen on that demon, but dismissed it as his imagination. He wondered how long that village they had rested in would last, so close to Nibelheim; regardless it was not on the to-do list of places to visit for Kadaj just yet. His brother gods would be more important than destroying a backwater.

The sun was beginning its descent in the west when they came across Corel, a haze visible in the distance as they had come closer. It smelled of diesel exhaust and hot dust, and the thick clinging scent of oil. Genesis stopped at the nearest gas station and Angeal stood watch as he filled the tank for his partner.

"I thought you said it'd be a day's travel?" Zack asked of Cloud.

The deity gave a helpless shrug. "I didn't know Genesis could drive like that at the time." In fact, he thought, he had just estimated how long he thought it would take mortals to get there. Cloud had been pleasantly surprised at their progress.

Zack nodded with a wicked grin. "There's a reason Angeal almost always drives. He says it's because he doesn't feel like dying."

"Life's too short to go slow."

"Pfft, speak for yourself!"

"This," Genesis began above the din of Cloud and Zack snickering, "is the home of Titan and his assistant the Golem. The miners and rig personnel honor and worship him for safety in the mines or out in the field." He pointed towards a large cliff face, of which most of it was carved in the form of a giant crouching while holding up the rest of the mountain above. Zack thought it far less elegant than Ifrit's temple, but no less impressive. "Of course they say Titan's abode is somewhere deep inside the earth, covered in every precious gem and metal known to man. The temple simply couldn't house one so large."

"That's amazing!" Tifa said. She looked back at Genesis. "Are the other churches and temples like that?"

Genesis smiled smugly. "Most all are works of art in their own right. They are to be as grand as the gods themselves."

Cloud snorted with a tinge of disgust. To him, most of them were just a little arrogant and a whole lot of stubborn. "The sooner we leave the better."

Zack rubbed the back of his head. "I'm kinda hungry after that fight. How about you, guys?"

The Genesis shrugged. "Mayhaps we could rest long enough for a meal before making our way to Costa del Sol."

"Fine by me." Cloud turned to Aerith. "I hate to ask this of you," he said in a soft voice, "but could you alert the church? Just don't tell them you're with me. They won't listen."

The priestess nodded, then remembered the spear piece on her back. She took it out. "What about this? I know they'll ask questions if they see it."

Tifa hummed. "It just looks like an old piece of wood, honestly."

Aerith shook her head. "I don't know if anyone else is like me and can sense the power it has."

Reverently, Cloud lifted the piece from Aerith's hand. "I'll hold it for now. When we get back on the road you can have it back. Alright?"

Aerith gave him a gentle smile and a nod. "That'll work!" She turned around and started walking towards the temple, formulating what she should say as she transversed the dust strewn sidewalk. How did they survive the slaughter in Nibelheim, what of Cloud? They wouldn't believe her if she said he helped save them. It would be best in the end to say the Espers saved her, a half truth at its worst. They would be far more interested in the fact that the demons were trying to, or had, unsealed Kadaj.

Alerting the church here would afford Genesis and Angeal some time before they got to Junon, she reasoned. Cloud told them Yazoo was next, and if she divulged that it would be suspicious. But if the church was on alert and news made its way to Junon and Modeoheim, it could ultimately save lives if something happened sooner than expected.

"Hey!"

Aerith looked back, Zack was catching up to her. He slowed down and matched her pace as he came to her side. "Shouldn't go without a bodyguard," he said.

"With Abyssion acting out, you're probably right," she agreed.

They walked quietly for a few moments, the large temple face growing closer. "Cloud doesn't seem so bad," Zack began. "He's pretty human for a god."

Aerith nodded. "He's a man turned into a god. I still wonder why."

"I wonder, too. Sephiroth threw away all that power for something..." The Esper scratched his forehead. "Or maybe he was just absolutely out of his gourd at that point."

"That's a possibility..."

As they entered the stone temple of the god Titan the scent of burning resins hit their noses, a contrast to the thick smell of the open air in Corel. While it too was heavy, it was of notes of myrrh and Corel pine resin, and the ambergris of the Cockatolis. There were carvings instead of stained glass all over the brown stone walls, detailing Titan's feats. One of the priests was at the pulpit, clothed in a deep earthy yellow robe, regarding the two as they hastily walked down the aisle towards him.

The elderly man walked to the front of the smooth stone pulpit and silently greeted them with a slight and cautious bow. Aerith returned the gesture with Zack following after her. "Greetings! I'm the priestess of the Nibelheim church, Aerith Gainsborough."

The priest clasped his hands in front of his chest and nodded, a wan smile. "Welcome to the grand temple of Titan, Priestess Aerith. I am High Priest Fomal. For what do I owe the pleasure?"

Aerith looked down with her eyes, towards her feet. "No pleasure. Nibelheim has been destroyed," she answered quietly, bringing her gaze to the high priest after uttering the words.

His brows came together and his face held deep concern. "Destroyed? I had overheard a layperson discussing an issue in regards to contacting family there." Fomal squeezed his hands together before bringing them to his sides. "What happened?"

"Demons," Aerith said, and the high priest visibly flinched. "They crawled out of the ground after a large earthquake. I...I was able to escape with the help of several Espers in the town, and a local woman." She motioned towards Zack, who nodded.

Fomal put a hand on Aerith's shoulder. "Truly, they were demons?"

"Yes, and many headed towards Kadaj's Tomb."

"We think he may have been freed, and that he'll go after the others soon," Zack said quickly.

The old priest let out a heavy sigh, then took his hand away. "I see. The church must be contacted, then. Still, how fortunate that you survived such an event...There were no other survivors?"

Aerith shook her head, a look of sadness and regret marring her features. "No."

"We're headed towards Junon in case he goes there next," Zack said.

"That...is a good idea," Fomal replied. His hands were held in front of him again as he held a contemplative look. "Abyssion, and possibly Sephiroth have entered the world stage again. Be safe on your journey, both of you."

Aerith gave a small bow with Zack. "Thank you, High Priest."

After a few more minutes of conversation the two left, returning to the waiting group by the old truck. She wondered if Fomal could feel her omitted thoughts at all. Something in his pale, sky blue eyes told her he wasn't completely sated with her story, but when he touched her uncovered shoulder she knew it. Somehow he knew she left out details, or she just wasn't a very good liar.

But what could he do? The church was more worried about protecting the seals of the two other gods than what she had not said right now. They would be fine, she thought as she walked with the group towards a diner. Still, the sweat on her brow was not just from the heat of the mountain town.


	9. A Few Quick Lessons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to MarleNadia for seeing if it was flowing good!

The ride out of Corel had been much less eventful than their earlier travels. The group had reached Costa del Sol as the sun touched down in the mountainous west, and Tifa gasped at the beautiful scene as they came down the rolling foothills into the city. Corel had been a hotter and dirtier version of Nibelheim, but this place was like an alien landscape she had to explore.

It was too late for the ferry to Junon, and so the group went to a hotel on the beach side for the night. Tifa left the others after getting prepared for the long journey ahead, buying some extra clothing with Aerith as Genesis tsked at whatever outfit Zack was trying to purchase. The older Esper ended up matching clothing for him as Angeal chuckled quietly to himself.

She hadn't been particularly hungry, her mind and emotions taking her attention as she walked along the white sand beach in the twilight. The sky was a deep violet and the sea looked as if it were giving birth to the moon. She stopped to watch it on a lonely patch of beach, stars twinkling into existence in the night sky as the silver orb slowly rose. It was breathtaking.

"Enjoying the view?"

She quickly turned her head towards the voice, and felt her mood quickly spoil. "Cloud," she plainly greeted.

He was standing next to her with his hands behind his back, watching the scenery. "Tifa."

"What do you want?"

"I...figured right now would be a good time to talk. You have a lot of questions," he said as he turned his head to look at her. "Don't you?"

Tifa licked her lips, then faintly nodded. She needed to know whatever he would divulge. Cloud situated himself on the sands, letting his legs stretch out in front of him as his arms propped him up. She followed suit, her legs crossed and her hands in her lap. Tifa sat there for a while, composing herself as the god patiently waited on her, the gentle sound of the waves soothing her nerves. She decided to start with that which was wrapped around her neck. "Why did you do this to me?" she whispered.

"I told you, you completed a geas."

"I think I would have remembered that," she replied sharply.

Cloud sighed, then looked upward as he remembered back. "You were eight, so I suppose I can understand..." His eyes met hers again as he lowered his gaze from the sky. "There was a plague that hit Nibelheim right before summer."

Tifa's eyes lit up as she remembered, then grew sorrowful. "Yeah. My parents..."

"A lot of people died that year. I was in the area, of course. I reaped the too far gone to limit their pain." He let out a sigh. "It was because of Kadaj's influence in the area, since he was sealed nearby. Every once in a while a terrible illness hits the Nibelheim Valley because of him."

"I see." Tifa ran her fingers through the soft glittering sand. "So...where do I come in?"

"When your parents died, you insisted on saying goodbye one last time. So, you traveled up the mountain and into my castle. I have no idea how you avoided monsters, or falling or...anything bad that could have happened.

"You came into the antechamber and asked Rapha if you could see your parents. He took you to my throne, and I was...surprised, to say the least." There was a wry smile growing on his face. "A little girl completed a geas I set up that was supposed to be difficult for an adult to do."

Tifa scratched her head. "What was the geas?"

"Travel up to the castle while I was in it, while ill with a deadly illness."

"I was sick?" she gasped.

He nodded. "Just the beginning stages. But there you were, boldly asking a god for your parents." Cloud paused for a moment to appreciate the horizon, then continued on. "I took you back down the mountain and brought you to your bed as your grandparents looked for you. I tucked your relic under your pillow, and that's how you became my Esper.

"I wasn't looking for an Esper. I wasn't looking to do this to you. But, it happened, and you really aren't a bad candidate for it."

"I'm not?"

"Well, you...have qualities I would have wanted in an Esper if I was in the market."

She cocked her head. "What kind of qualities?"

A little blush creeped into his cheeks, and he looked away. "Um...You're...kind, but you don't take any crap. Not even from a god. It's important to be strong if you're dealing with death."

Tifa snorted a little at the casual slang used by the god of death, but became somber again. "I...I wish we met under different circumstances. I mean, the festival..."

He turned back and nodded. "I didn't know that was going to happen, Tifa. My family died in a similar manner...But their souls weren't saved at all."

She looked down and into her lap. "You said those demons would devour everyone's souls, so you..."

"I'm sorry."

Tifa wasn't actually expecting him to apologize. Rationalize it away, or tell her how it meant little in the long march of time, but there it was. A meek apology. Her ears perked as he continued to speak. "I have a duty I have to do, and I know. I know it hurts to lose people you care about, I've felt it. I understand if you hate me for it. But it's my duty to relieve the dying of their suffering, and it's my duty to keep souls intact."

"Was it really the only way?" she murmured softly towards the ocean.

"I hope I don't seem the type to kill when there's another way," he responded lowly.

She shook her head softly. "No. I don't think so. I just...miss them."

"I understand. You haven't had a chance to mourn yet."

Tifa frowned as she watched the moon's light ripple on the waves. "I don't...know. I thought I'd feel sadder," she shyly divulged. She felt guilty saying it out loud, but this was the god of death she was speaking to.

Cloud nodded slowly. "That's not as strange as you'd think. People mourn in different ways. Some do it right away, others take a while. Some never cry, but the pain is all the same. Maybe when we're done with this quest of ours, you'll be ready."

"Maybe." Her warm eyes watched Cloud as he looked back. She felt a little better, to her surprise.

He pointed at her relic. "And maybe you're ready to know how to really use that now," he stated.

Tifa looked down at it with some trepidation. The last time she had used it on accident and turned into a ghost of all things. She looked back at Cloud when she heard him stand, and she did the same. "Why did you lie about it?"

"Hm?"

"You called it a talisman. Why? Why did you hide from me?"

"Oh." Cloud looked up at the starry sky, then down at her again. "I was trying to ease you into it. Maybe I went about it the wrong way..." He cleared his throat. "Anyway, let me teach you about your relic."

"Espers are given a small portion of their god's power, you see," he began. "It's why you saw Zack as a wolf that one night. His relic let's him become a wolf."

"Wait. That was Zack?" Cloud nodded in answer to her question. "...What about the zombies? Did I...?"

He chuckled. "That was me. You can do that too, once you learn how."

She shook her head and glanced down at her necklace. "I don't know if I want to." She thought back to that night. "The fear I felt..."

"You can do that also."

Tifa stared at him. "Do what?"

He motioned with his arm. "Strike fear into others. You're working under the god of death, remember? Life fears the grave."

Her brows scrunched together. "Was that you?"

"Mm." Something changed about Cloud. His face looked more menacing than it had a second before; hollow eyed with a threatening glare that sent a terrifying tingle down her spine and into her hips. It looked as if the space he was occupying had grown darker, all the while keeping his eyes bright and dangerous looking.

And before the urge to flee overcame her he was just Cloud again, unassuming and not at all someone that would be suspected of being a deity at all. "It's occasionally useful. Wanna try?"

"How?"

So he showed her. He showed her simple techniques first, things that were easy to master. Fear, speaking to the dead properly instead of the way she had been doing it, how to create will o' wisps. She would need actual experience doing these things, but knowing how to properly use her relic's power was a good start in her opinion.

"It's getting late, and I've only showed you a little bit," he gently groused. "Death's Espers should know how to speak to the dead, how to soothe the dead, and how to bind the dead." A sardonic smile formed on his face. "They should also know how to become undead."

Tifa furrowed her brow. "How come?"

"Because it comes in handy," he said simply. "Sometimes powerful magic keeps the living out of a barrier. Or, maybe you have to make a quick escape...or, not die from an illness."

Her face grew serious. Cloud was insinuating something. "Don't tell me that was how I survived."

He nodded. "Did you think I was gonna let you die? Anyway, there's different forms of undead. There's corporeal, like zombies and vampires, and incorporeal, like ghosts and banshees."

Tifa put a hand to her chest. "Why would I wanna turn into a zombie?"

"You don't have to, you just can." Cloud put a hand on his hip. "Let's start with turning into a ghost, since you've done that before."

She looked down at her relic, then shyly glanced at him. "But I don't know how I did it."

He chuckled a little bit and took a step towards her. "It's easy when you get the hang of it. Learning how to move is a little harder, but...You did better than my first time," he admitted.

"Oh." She remembered that Cloud had been an Esper at one time; this was something he had to train for a long time ago. "You'll have to tell me how that went sometime."

He looked away. "Maybe." Again he looked at her. "Just let your relic's power flow through you, and focus on being...ethereal."

"Ethereal...?" Tifa closed her eyes and frowned. Was it that desire to get away when she was held against her will? She just wanted to be free. Free to fly away from three crazy Espers...

She meant to breathe, but there was no need or ability to; she opened her eyes in puzzlement. Cloud had a smug look on his face. Tifa looked down and noticed she looked the same as she did that night she activated her relic. Her ruby eyes went wide in amazement, and just a little unease. _"Oh!"_

"That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Tifa shook her head. _"No, but...how do I turn back?"_

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, here. You need to learn how to move." Cloud walked away from her and towards the sand dunes. Then he turned back towards her, and beckoned with his hand. "Will yourself to move to me."

She floated in place. _"How?"_ her voice asked with an eerie echo.

"You have to want to be near me."

She had to want it. Tifa looked at him. Cloud was standing there, his arms crossed over his chest and a brow raised on his face as he waited for her. Did she want to be near him? There were still some raw feelings that would take time to smooth over, though her frank talk with him had helped. Tifa stilled her mind, and decided she wanted to be floating above that patch of sand near him. She wanted to be by that sand.

Slowly, she began to move. It wasn't too difficult, though her trajectory had her a bit more to the side of Cloud than she had meant to. She moved a little further, right behind the god before stopping. He turned to her. _"Whew."_

"Not bad." Surprisingly, he caught her hand in his, and he gently tugged her a little closer to him. "I think I've shown you enough tonight. Alright, to turn back just focus on your relic. It'll give you back your life force."

Tifa tilted her head. _"It's holding it?"_

He nodded. "Keep that in mind. If your relic is too damaged, there's a chance it won't release it back into you."

She didn't like the sound of that. Still, she saw the uses of the technique. Tifa closed her eyes and focused on her relic, willing it to give her life back. It wasn't long after she found the death god holding her as she stumbled from where she floated, her head resting on his shoulder. She couldn't help but blush.

Cloud chuckled lightly. "You're a quick learner, Tifa. I—"

"Someone is coming," she murmured into his ear.

He gently let her down before turning to see who was approaching. He narrowed his eyes at the three, then crossed his arms while putting himself between them and Tifa. "Evening. A little lost?"

Cloud knew there was the risk of running into more Espers, but he had been hoping to have been able to leave the beach with Tifa before any showed up. Almost always in threes, and rarely by themselves or in a duo. As a god, he could identify whose Espers they were.

One was an older man that towered over the other two, built like a biker and carrying a lance. His light colored clothing showed underneath the black leather vest he wore and a thick greying beard made him look like he had the face of a dwarf. A relic in the shape of a silver whale nestling a light blue orb hung about his neck; he would belong to the local church of Bismark.

Another was shorter but still taller than Cloud. His hair was auburn and swept upward with a red bandana. He was lanky and wore metal bracers on his wrists and billowing, deep purple pants with a yellow shirt. His relic was two iron horns holding a fire red orb, a telltale sign of Ifrit's Esper.

The last was about as tall as Tifa, if not a decade older. She had tawny hair in the moonlight and a blue blouse. Black pants covered her legs, as well as matching boots that covered for calves. The golden rays holding a rich blue orb identified her as an Esper of Lakshmi, one of the goddesses of healing and deity over love and marriage.

The large man spoke up as he stood front and center, his lance pointing at the two. "Damned necromancers, coming to shit up the beach."

Cloud scoffed. "We were just having a nice little conversation on the beach," he said innocently. Tifa couldn't help but roll her eyes. "But it's getting late, and we need to get some sleep."

She had to wonder if he thought that was going to work, or if he was being an ass on purpose.

"Are you mouthin' off to me, you slime?"

The younger male gently knocked his comrade's arm. "Enough talkin' to the heretics, more purification."

Cloud shook his head. "You really don't want to mess with us. Just go on your way, and I'll forget about this little encounter."

There were flames spouting from the hands of the Esper. "Three against two, total cakewalk."

Before he could throw the fire at his opponents, before his comrades could spring, the very life was choked out of the air. It was suddenly very chilly, and even the moon's light was dimmed. The immediate area seemed greyer, duller. In Cloud's place was the reaper Tifa had seen in Nibelheim and had confronted while standing in front of his throne.

The god of death towered above them all.

 _"You have no chance against a god,"_ said the dark voice all around them. _"Leave."_

"S-Sephiroth..." The woman took a step back. "This can't be."

While the older man braced himself, looking unsure as to what to do in such an impossible situation, the auburn haired man tsked. "Ifrit doesn't fear you and neither do I!"

The woman's violet eyes widened in horror. "Jatks, no!"

Two bouts of flame shot out at Cloud, but harmlessly faded before hitting the black robe that covered him. He shook his cowled head, then raised a bony claw upwards. Faint green tendrils began to wrap around it, originating from the three Espers. One by one they fell to their hands and knees. _"All bow to death."_

He felt a tug on his robe, and he looked back. Tifa was giving him a pleading look with her round, red eyes. Cloud let out a sigh, then turned his head to observe the Espers. They had been woefully unprepared for this. _"Let this be a lesson to you."_

The tendrils unraveled, and reentered the Espers. They would be dazed for the time being, their souls halfway sucked out of their bodies not a moment ago; that would take a while to recover from. Cloud looked back at Tifa, and beckoned her to follow him towards the sand dunes and out of sight of the three. Until she mastered her abilities, he would have to watch her escapes in case any other Esper crossed their path.

As soon as they were out of sight and on a sidewalk close to their hotel Cloud changed back. "Well, that was a surprise."

She pursed her lips. "You weren't going to kill them, were you?"

He shook his head. "No." Though perhaps, he thought, he may have held onto their souls longer than was needed.

"Hm." Tifa kicked a stray pebble as they came towards the more well lit section of the sidewalk, the hotel's tower looming close now. "I suppose I'm lucky it was Zack's posse that I met in Nibelheim."

Cloud turned his head enough to look at her through his blond side bangs. "Oh?"

"Yeah. Genesis was too busy gloating and talking to do anything."

He couldn't help the grin that was spreading across his face, nor the quiet laugh that came out of him right after. "Yeah. He seems to be a real drama queen."

As they entered the hotel and then the elevator Tifa asked, "won't the Espers be on high alert for us now?"

Cloud let out a mildly annoyed grunt. "I guess it can't be helped. I'll keep them occupied, though."

"How?"

"As if you have to ask," he said sardonically.

When they entered the room they noticed Zack doing squats in front of the window. He waved at them, then walked over. "Feelin' any better?"

Tifa smiled in a bashful fashion, then slowly nodded her head. "Yeah, I do. Thank you, Zack."

Zack grinned, then looked at Cloud and winked. He chuckled when the god of death had color grow on his cheeks. "Had a moonlit walk on the beach, eh?"

"What? How—" Cloud looked at the sand dusting his boots and pants. "Oh." He shook his head, then cleared his throat. "We had company."

The Esper's face grew serious. "What kind of company?"

"Espers," Tifa replied.

"You didn't...kill them, did you?" Zack's face grew worried.

Cloud shook his head. "No, scared the hell out of them though. They'll probably be after me tomorrow, after they've prepared at the temple in town." A casual shrug lifted his shoulders. "Nothing new."

Zack visibly relaxed. "I bet. Well, I guess we can talk it over in the morning. There's not that many Espers at any given place, y'know."

"I know. I'll probably tease them through the night. Just focus on getting on the boats tomorrow, okay? If they're occupied with me, they aren't going to be a threat to you."

"Right." Zack blew a breath out and slapped his hands together. "Well, I'm gonna hit the hay. Be careful out there, Cloud."

The god seemed mildly taken aback, then nodded. "Thanks." He looked at Tifa. "...Have a good night."

"Thank you," she said quietly with a small smile. "And come back to us safe, okay?"

He scoffed. "I'm the god of death, I'll be fine," he said with some bravado. With that he disappeared from the hotel room and back onto the beach, watching the three Espers as they made their way through the sands as quickly as they could. It was time for the longest night of their lives.


	10. A Little About Myself

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, let's give Zack and Aerith some love next, huh?

The docks were cool still in the early morning, the breeze chilling Tifa's legs as it passed by. She watched the area for any unwanted guests and for Cloud, the god having yet to appear after last night. Her hands pulled at the hood of her dark colored jacket, her hair tucked within to keep herself inconspicuous. A backpack graced her back, as did one for everyone else in attendance.

"I suppose this is farewell for now, Zachary," Genesis said as the small group stood by the ramp for the Junon-bound ship. "You best do well to keep the priestess safe."

Zack proudly put his hands on his hips. "Hey, you can count on me!" A grin crossed his face, and he pointed at Angeal. "Try and keep your better half safe and sound."

"As if I can't look after myself," the red head scoffed.

Angeal chuckled. "Good luck in Wutai, Pup."

"I think you'll need more luck than us, Angeal." Zack looked up at the morning blue sky, wisps of pinkish clouds hanging high. He breathed in the ocean air, then looked at his two mentors with a nod. "I'm gonna miss you guys."

Genesis waved his hand flippantly. "We'll meet again, lest we fail. Then I suppose there will be no chance to mourn the other."

"That's rather optimistic of you," Aerith drawled out.

"Well...Goodbye for now." Tifa rubbed her arm.

"Hm. I'm glad we didn't have to kill you, but do see to it you keep an eye on your master, mm?" Genesis gave her a piercing look with his steel blue eyes.

She lowered her brow and made a frown. "He's not my master."

Angeal grunted. "He's hopefully truly an ally. I'd say so far so good."

Tifa pursed her lips. She didn't feel as uneasy about his motivations as she had before. When he wasn't playing at being a god, he was just a man in her eyes. Before she could respond, Aerith piped up. "I know we can trust him."

"Your ability might be leading you astray," Genesis warned.

She shook her head. "No, I can feel it. Besides, he didn't kill those Espers on the beach last night."

"Not that we know of," Angeal responded.

"Well, you aren't dead either." She gave them a sharp look with her eyes, despite smiling at them. "He very well could have killed us all. Would've been easier than all this, don't you think?"

"I think he's alright, he just needs to talk more." Zack rubbed under his nose.

A call rang out from the ferry, and Genesis let out a long sigh. "Thus we part."

A few more waves between the five, and the group of three watched the duo as they made their way on board their ship. Zack let out a noisy sigh as his mentors disappeared from view. They had been a group for the last two years.

Two years of training and doing. Mostly they were on the Eastern Continent, visiting places that required them. Sometimes they were sent out to assist after a natural disaster occurred, or a necromancer was sighted. How many times did they have each other's backs? Despite not being alone in his endeavor, he felt rather exposed.

He would miss the gentle bickering and the camp-outs when they couldn't reach an inn before nightfall. Zack would miss Genesis' cooking and Angeal's sword training. For all intents and purposes, they were family.

Well, some day he would have to introduce this family to his parents to adopt.

Zack felt a hand hold onto his forearm. He looked back to see emerald eyes observing him. "Time for us to go to faraway lands!"

He covered up his nostalgic mood with a smile. "That's right! Lead the way, Aerith."

It wasn't too far a walk to reach their boat, a grander vessel than the one Genesis and Angeal were on. This one was for a longer ocean cruise that would skirt the northern half of the continent before reaching Wutai. Zack had never been to the ancient nation, considered exotic by the rest of the world at large with their unique buildings and their steadfast loyalty to Leviathan, Lord of the Deep.

Their lodgings were down below, but on the upper level of the ship. If there was one thing he was glad for in this crazy scenario he found himself in, it was that the god of the dead had deep pockets and he was willing to use that coin on them. Zack knew it could be a ruse, but that thought was beginning to fade as he spent time around him. Cloud was aloof, but when he wasn't he came off as a little dorky.

A dorky god of death. He shook his head as he shoved the thought away, then opened the door to his room.

It was a nice room, spacious with a bathroom to the right and a round window on the wall. The floor had a thick, deep blue carpet and the furniture was wood that had been stained dark. A television hung from the wall next to the door he was slowly walking through; there were two drawers and two beds. Two beds?

"I'll take this bed."

Zack blinked a few times, then laughed a little. Cloud was sitting on the bed to the left, his face completely deadpan. He moved towards the one on the right, plopped his backpack on it, and sat on the edge. "I thought you didn't need to sleep?"

Cloud shrugged. "Doesn't hurt to put my feet up once in a while."

"Yeah, I totally agree." The Esper scratched at his arm. "So, how was your night?"

"I kept them from Bismark's church all night. They're probably there now, but it'll be too late for them to find us." Cloud fell back onto his bed, resting his head on the pillow and looking up at the ceiling. "Between what happened in Nibelheim and that, the church is going to be scrambling." He pursed his lips before continuing. "Some of the gods may make an appearance."

"Oh. That's not good for us, is it?"

Cloud shook his head. "Nope. But they'll do things their way, and I'll do things my way. There's no time to wait on them and their debates and discussions."

"Hm." Zack leaned back as he put his hands behind him. "Aerith trusts you a lot."

The god's blue eyes looked his way. "Yeah."

"So, have you ever met someone like her?"

Cloud shrugged before laying his hands on his belly. "Once, a couple of centuries ago. Another woman, who was a healer near Junon. A maniac attacked her one day as she tended to an injured farmer. I had to free her..." He let out a sigh.

"That sounds horrible." A thought crossed his mind. "So like, is there anything different about their souls that make them special?"

The god was silent, his eyes looking away. Just when Zack thought he wouldn't say, Cloud divulged. "Her soul was...different. It vanished as I held it in my hand. I still don't know why."

"Man. I hope it didn't just dissolve or something." Zack chewed on his lip for a few moments. He wondered if that meant any kind of magic that could revive a person at the brink of death wouldn't work on her. "Guess we'll just have to keep her extra safe."

"Yeah." After a minute of silence Cloud sat up in bed to face his roommate. "But for now, we should be alright. Tifa is with her when we aren't."

"True." Mention of Tifa made him think about what had been bothering him since he had cast his lot in with Cloud. Zack cleared his throat. "I've been thinking lately..."

"About what?"

A thoughtful look crossed the Esper's face. "About...the future. Specifically my future with Fenrir."

"Oh." Cloud tilted his head slightly and shifted where he sat. "You mean after you die."

"Yeah." Zack scratched his leg through the fabric of his jeans. "I mean, since we're doing the opposite of what we were supposed to do with you."

The god let out a short huff of a laugh. "Right. I don't know. If everything goes as planned, I don't think Fenrir is gonna punish you." He pursed his lips again and looked downwards as he thought. Espers went to their deity's realm after death to serve them. There was always the option to reincarnate again, but as far as he knew very few chose that, even after millenia of service. They were the hosts and armies of the gods.

After he became the next god of death, the pantheon had forced him to reincarnate every last one but for Raphas as a show of good faith. Cloud had been on his own but for the jolly castle keep, and any creature that dwelled in the underworld as a part of it. Now Tifa would be a part of a new host; he wondered how she would take the news.

Zack shrugged with uncertainty. "He's not known for appreciating traitors."

Cloud looked up with a frown. "You aren't a traitor just because I forced you into this."

"Yeah but, what choice did any of us have?"

Cloud scoffed. "None of us had a choice, you're right."

There was a knock on the door, and Zack stood and walked up to open it. He was met by Aerith's face, the priestess looking up at him with a little hidden sass that he had seen the first day they had met. He greeted her with a smile, and she did the same. "Hey. Need somethin'?"

"Oh, I was just wondering if you wanted to watch the boat leave the dock before getting something to eat," she replied lightheartedly.

His smile grew, and he rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah!" Zack turned around and waved at Cloud. "Hey, I'll be back later man."

The god waved once, then reclined back onto his bed. For someone who didn't need sleep, Zack thought Cloud seemed to really appreciate a good soft mattress. He turned his head as he felt a hand wrap around his wrist, then he had Aerith tugging him out of the room. Through the hallway they went, passing a few guests and a handful of crew members here and there.

It wasn't long until they reached the deck, speckled with groups of people and many couples that seemed to have the same idea Aerith did. The sky had grown lighter and the clouds were white and high up above. The two made their way to an empty area where they could watch Costa del Sol disappear as the ship skirted the continent.

"Anxious?"

Aerith looked up at Zack as they leaned on the thick metal wall. Her emerald eyes regarded him a moment, and then she dismissively shrugged. "We're going off to steal Wutai's spear piece. But we've made it this far, so perhaps our luck is still going strong."

Zack released a quiet chuckle. "I hope so." The boat very gently lurched, making the two sway in place. "Man, what a mess we've stumbled into."

"Mhm." The priestess gave him a confident smile. "One day we'll look back at this and laugh."

"You seem pretty confident that we're gonna save the world."

Aerith looked back towards the city as the boat began to move away from the docks. "Call it a hunch."

It was as if the boat was a large, graceful whale, gliding away from the shore and off to lands neither of them had seen. It was so serene, yet under the surface was an uncertainty as to what was waiting for them in faraway lands. Costa del Sol began to disappear from view as the ship maneuvered out to sea and past the green covered cliffs to the north of the resort city.

The priestess let out a sigh through her nose as civilization left her view. Then she pat Zack on the hand. "How about that breakfast?"

They headed down towards eating area, the large space set up with a buffet of items to eat. Aerith picked up a small bowl of fruit and some toast with jam. Zack piled on eggs and bacon and a few sausages before heading towards a table by the wall. As he put his plate down on the grey plastic surface, he raised a brow at Aerith's scant choices. "That's all you're gonna eat?"

She shrugged before jamming a fork into a strawberry slice. "I'm not a huge breakfast person. Sometimes it's nice, but...lately I've been having too many in a row."

"Oh. I mean, we coulda had a lunch together instead, then."

Aerith smiled and shook her head. "Never know what might happen from one hour to the next."

Zack grinned with a cheek full of eggs, then continued to eat his meal for a few minutes. He was plenty hungry, after all. He looked back up when she addressed him. "So, Zack. Where are you from?"

"Oh, uh..." He swallowed his mouthful. "I was born in Gongaga, but my family moved all the way to Bone Village when I was two. Kinda chilly, but not as bad as Icicle Inn."

"I see. So how did you get involved with the church?"

Zack looked uncharacteristically thoughtful as he pondered whether to say. Almost reluctantly, he began. "Well, you know how sometimes a god chooses you? That's what the priest said in the church, that Fenrir chose me." He looked down at his half-eaten plate. "I had a dream when I was fifteen, with Fenrir in it. I was running with this huge pack of wolves through the forest, fighting off monsters."

He looked up, watching Aerith's reaction. "And then Fenrir turned to me and said he wanted someone like me to fight by his side. He was just this huge, dark furred wolf that made me feel like I belonged with him."

She nodded in understanding. "Fenrir must have really wanted you to be his Esper if he came to you in a dream."

Zack relaxed a little bit, then chuckled. "Yeah. I'm proud to be his Esper, too." Thoughts of his discussion with Cloud ran through his head, and he quickly cast it aside before anxiety swiped at him again. "What about you?"

"Well..." Aerith slowly played with her fork, twirling it between the fingers of one hand as she looked at it. Then her eyes went back to Zack as she held her silverware again, and he swore they were sparkling. "My family has been all over the place. My parents met in Cosmo Canyon, and then they moved all the way to Icicle Inn. Mom said they wanted to get away from it all.

"They had me there. One day, when I was seven, some strangers came into the town." Her eyes became distant as she slowly recalled the memory. "They were dressed in black. Mom told me later on that they were bandits that had camped too close to Loz's End, and it had filled them with a terrible hatred."

"Oh." Zack's shoulders stiffened ever so slightly. "That's a long ways from Icicle Inn."

She nodded. "Mhm. They had to have traveled days to get there. Well, it was sort of infectious, their hatred. The inn and tavern had people fighting each other the evening after they arrived, and my parents fled to Shiva's temple." Aerith looked away. "My dad died fighting off our neighbor."

Again she looked at him, but her eyes held some shimmer of hope. "But there were Espers that were visiting. With their help and the priestesses there, they saved the town. We lost a lot, but in the end Icicle Inn was preserved."

So that was why she was so optimistic, Zack thought. "Who were these mystery Espers?"

"Espers of Seraph, Shiva and Bahamut. When everything calmed down and I saw what the church had done for the people, I slowly grew interested." A small laugh left her lips. "I suppose it's funny how things ended up. I wanted to become an Esper first, but then when my mother moved us to Midgar I started down the path to become a priestess instead."

"Oh. Woulda been cool to have grouped up with you out in the field, but this works too!"

She laughed again. "I had been priestess for Nibelheim's church for such a short time before you came. Maybe it was fate?" Aerith teased him, though she soon became somber. "I wish I could have known what was going to happen. When I arrived everything seemed peaceful enough. Except for Tifa, but who would have known?

"Anyway, with this power of mine making me... _special_ ," she said with a little strain, "I think it helped me land my own church to tend at such a young age. That and I was quick to learn the rituals. But, I wonder if it was for nothing now."

"Since we're technically traitors." Zack was certain she had been pondering the same things as he had been.

Aerith nodded. "Right. They'll eventually find out what we're up to, they have to be a little suspicious by now. We're the only survivors of a demon attack, and we didn't stay in Corel or Costa del Sol to see if they would need any help."

The Esper shrugged. "No goin' back now."

"Nope. I think we made the right choice, though."

They slowly moved from their table to allow an attendant to clean it for the next guest. Zack looked down at Aerith. She had the most certain look and gait as she walked at his side, a mask of serenity covering what anxiety laid dormant beneath the surface.

Zack watched what was in front of him as they navigated the hall back to their rooms. Maybe he was on a life or death quest, but it wouldn't be so bad with someone like Aerith at his side. He still missed Genesis and Angeal, but he wasn't alone.

As Aerith parted from his side to walk towards her door she waved at him. "I'll see you later on, Zack. Thanks for the date!"

"Date?" She was gone before the word completely passed his lips. A quiet chuckle issued from him, then he went to the door to his and Cloud's room. He tensed a little as a feeling came over him, one that came from the magic of an Esper. It wasn't Tifa's, with the unsettling peace of the grave, no. He sensed that nearby, of course. This one was different, raw, deep and untamed.

Zack looked about the hall, but he couldn't pinpoint who it was coming from. That woman, or the young man who took a quick glance back at him? Maybe it was the older looking teen that was far down the way. Or perhaps that tall fellow with the blond hair?

He shook his head and quickly entered his room. There was another Esper on board their boat, and the others would have to know if they had yet to sense it.


	11. Kid-Napped

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just give me two more chapters, we're almost to the good stuff, where it picks up again. One for a little more character development, and another for the plot. Also, thanks to Marle_Nadia for beta and suggestions!

Cloud pinched the bridge of his nose as he stood in their bedroom. "Yeah, I feel them."

Zack crossed his arms and motioned towards the door with his head. "So, what do we do?"

"Well..." The god let his hand slip down to his side. "Okay, I'll hide, and you get whatever information you can from them...Sound good?"

The Esper nodded, then gave a questioning look. "And after that?"

Cloud shrugged. "We take them captive. Don't worry, I got this." He disappeared immediately after.

Zack plopped his hands on his sides. They were going to take an Esper captive. He supposed there was no choice in the matter, considering their circumstances. But how? He blew out a sigh; his partner was over five hundred years old, he probably knew what to do.

He heard a rapping at the door, and he turned around to stare at it. The sound filled him with a little trepidation. Slowly he walked towards the door. The sound of the ship and his footfalls were awfully loud to his ears. The door was knocked upon again, and Zack took the knob in hand. If it was the rogue Esper, and his senses were telling him that was the case, he had to come up with some excuse to whatever they asked of him. He turned the knob and opened the door enough to see who it was.

A hand shoved the door open more, and someone much shorter than he slipped through. He grabbed their wrist and firmly dragged them towards him. "Hey! You weren't invited in, y'know!"

The teenager tsked at him, her sassy grey eyes sizing him up underneath black bangs. Her navy blue tank top and white shorts looked and smelled like they were soaked with seawater. "Yeah well, you want some freaky necromancer hearin' us talk?"

Zack tightened his jaw and frowned at her. He closed the door behind him; he would have to get as much information out of her as possible. "...You're huntin' the necromancer too?"

"Duh." The young Esper put her hands on her hips. "I dunno where you're from or if you were at Bismark's church recently, since like, Costa del Sol is pretty big. But last night, three Espers were attacked by a necromancer and...Sephiroth! Sephiroth, can you believe it?"

He gave a noncommittal shrug. "That sounds kinda far fetched, don't you think? Sephiroth?" Zack coughed into his hand at her sharp glare. "I-I mean, I can believe the necromancer part, since we both know one is out and about." Zack quietly took in a breath. He had to look at least a little trustworthy to this stranger, while simultaneously getting some modicum of information that they could use.

Her eyes softened ever so slightly before she nodded. "Yeah yeah, I get you. Creepy death god hasn't been seen in five hundred years and then boom, he's out on a beach romancing a follower!"

Zack resisted the urge to either roll his eyes or crack a grin. Cloud, romancing Tifa? He was going to need to pry after everything was situated with this rookie Esper. Certainly important information. "So what actually happened?"

The young Esper clapped her hands together. "Sephiroth almost killed the Espers, and then he let his pet escape! Then he came back to torture them, like a cat cornering a mouse! They eventually got to the church, thank Leviathan."

Zack's indigo eyes quickly glanced down at the teen's relic. Made of the finest silver, there was a carbuncle of deepest sapphire embraced by a water serpent. His eyes went back up. This was a Wutaian royal? They were going to have to kidnap a princess. _Oh, gods_. "Oh. He...just almost killed them?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, I wasn't there!" She crossed her arms as she looked up at the raven-haired Esper. "There was talk about a place called Nibelheim being destroyed, too. By demons...So, Sephiroth is up to no good, and we gotta find out what his plans are!"

Oh, he already knew "Sephiroth's" plans. "Right. I haven't heard about that part yet...so, what's the church planning? Do you know?"

"I don't. I left before I heard anything." Her foot kicked at the rug. "Anyway, we gotta partner up and have a nice little conversation with this necromancer about that. She's nearby, don't you feel it?" She pointed towards Aerith's and Tifa's room.

"Well yeah, but I was a bit confused when I felt you on board, too. Thought I was goin' in alone." He put a hand on his hip.

Those liard eyes of hers darted between the two beds in the room, and she quirked a brow. Zack rubbed the back of his head, and willed his cheeks to keep from burning to no avail. He had to think quick. "Uh, he's not here right now."

"I thought you said you were going alone?" She crossed her arms.

"I-well, he..." _Think think think._ "He...gets motion sickness. So we're waiting for the medicine to kick in."

She stared at him for a good long moment, then put her hands up. "Okay, okay. I don't need your whole story, gawd. I'll be the leader of this group, since you two have your heads up your asses!"

An incredulous look overcame Zack's face, and he tried and failed to not grin. "Yeah, sure."

"Glad you agree." The teen waltzed up to Cloud's bed, then unceremoniously plopped down on the mattress. "Name's Yuffie, by the way."

"Was wonderin' when you'd get to introducing yourself," said the spiky haired Esper. "I'm Zack."

They were silent for a while, looking at each other. Zack frowned some more. "So..."

"When's your partner showin' up?" Yuffie kicked her legs. "And where's your third wheel, anyway?"

He decided she was asking way too many questions that he really didn't want to answer. "He went to the medical bay. And they were recalled to Junon."

"Oh. Well, I'm tired of waiting. Let's search for the nasty little freak, before she does anything to the people on this boat." She hopped off the bed and beckoned Zack to follow her.

He felt he might not have much choice unless he wanted to blow his cover, so he humored her. That was, until they both heard a cough from behind them. They turned around to see Cloud standing between the beds, a brow raised as he studied Yuffie. "How'd you know I had motion sickness, Zack?"

Zack nervously rubbed the back of his head. "You do?"

She gave Cloud a narrow eyed frown. "Eh?! Don't tell me he's your partner!" she said without looking at Zack.

"Uh...Well, yeah." 

Cloud came closer, casual as ever. "It looks like you bit off more than you could chew, princess." He put his hands on his hips as the teen took in his drab garb. "What made you think it would be a good idea to board a ship all alone like this?"

She shook her head. "I felt an Esper before I..." A small gasp was released. "Just one."

"Two, actually. Where's your group?" Cloud asked. "Don't tell us you ran off by yourself."

"Shut up!" Yuffie edged away from Zack, her eyes communicating the fact that she understood what was going on now. She turned to him. "You...you traitor!"

Zack shook his head. "I'm not!" he protested.

She pointed at Cloud. "You're in league with a necromancer, how could you even say that!"

"Death god, not necromancer," Cloud corrected to her absolute horror. "Anyway, I can't have you interfering. So...it's time for a nap, Yuffie."

"Zack, you slimy—" Yuffie fell to the floor in a heap. Zack immediately kneeled by her, checking her over. The sleep spell had knocked her completely out.

He let out a harsh sigh before running one of his hands through his spiky, ebony hair. "Damn."

Cloud came over and crouched next to her. He fumbled with her relic, gently taking it from around her neck. "She's pretty reckless, isn't she?"

Zack pursed his lips, then nodded. "Looks like she came here on a lark," he finally responded.

Slowly, Cloud nodded back. "She's too young to be making such decisions on her own," he said quietly before hoisting Yuffie up and onto his bed. "Let's tie her up. She'll fit comfortably in the chest in the girl's room."

An incredulous look crossed Zack’s face. "You've gotta be kidding me."

Cloud shook his head. "Trust me."

* * *

Tifa strolled about the halls of the ship, taking her time to soak everything in. They had a couple of days before they reached Wutai, so what harm would there be in relaxing? She felt she might even enjoy herself while she could; this might be her only chance to before Abyssion obliterated the world. No, absolutely no harm at all in her opinion.

As far as she was concerned, if Aerith was going to, she should too.

The priestess had gone on about her breakfast date with Zack, and Tifa was filled with questions. Were the clergy allowed to have romantic relationships? What about Espers? Of course they could, was the reply. Tifa looked down at her relic with an emptiness in her heart. Who would want Death's Esper? Well, it wasn’t like she had had any promising prospects in her hometown, she thought. Her situation would be unchanged.

With a sigh she went topside, and the sound of seagulls, people and the ocean sloshing against the hull hit her ears. The scent of the sea was absolutely enchanting after a lifetime of mountain air. Tifa walked up to the side of the boat and leaned against the barrier so she could watch the deep blue sea ripple in their wake. A pod of curious dolphins swam perpendicular to the boat, and she couldn't help but smile at the sight of them.

"Tifa?"

She turned her head to see Cloud at her side. Tifa tilted her head. "Is everything alright?"

He crossed his arms. "There was a stray Esper on the boat. Did you feel it?"

Tifa's eyes drifted downward. There had been an unusual sensation that overcame her earlier, but she thought that perhaps it was her imagination acting up. She looked back, then shook her head. "I thought maybe I felt something, but I shrugged it off."

Cloud let out a little grunt. "I see. Well, I took care of it, but if you feel anything like that again, let me know."

"Took care of it...?"

He waved his hands in front of him. "She's fine! We have her captive, but she's fine. I took her relic for good measure."

A wave of relief came over Tifa. "Oh."

"Do really think I would be that cutthroat?"

She blushed, then she shrugged. "I still barely know you, Cloud."

"...Right. Sorry." He looked away, and towards the sea. He leaned on the railing and muttered "I've dragged you into this mess."

She joined him, her eyes watching the dolphins below. "...It couldn't be helped." There was a moment of silence between them. Tifa took in a silent breath, needing a question answered to ease her mind. "Who were you before?"

Cloud stayed quiet. She looked towards him, noticing that he was staring off into the waters. "I...was a villager in Nibelheim. I always admired Sephiroth, how gracious his Espers were when they assisted the townsfolk.

"Back in those days, Sephiroth's Espers were busy. People died a lot sooner than they do now, so they would tend to the bodies if they were in the area. Give comfort. Stop the creation of the undead..." He sighed. "Sephiroth came to me, out of the blue. He gave me a geas to complete when I was fourteen."

"Fourteen? That's so young!" Tifa exclaimed. "I mean, compared to me..."

A rueful chuckle came from Cloud. "You were a fluke. Not that I'm upset about it. Anyway," he began again, his face becoming nostalgic. "It was tough. I had to put down an angry wight. It took me all night to do it, too.

"When I defeated it, an Esper came out of hiding and healed my wounds. She presented me with my relic, and I began formal training. It was my finest moment." He glanced at her, then her relic. Then he searched the horizon. "I became a mortal messenger of Death.

"I eased the suffering of the dying and their families, I purged the undead and necromancers. I went everywhere in Sephiroth's name. It was hard, but rewarding work." He grew quiet. "One day, there was a new deity in Sephiroth's court."

Tifa frowned with trepidation. "A new god?"

Cloud nodded as he stared out at the sea. "Kadaj. God of pestilence. I had been out in the field for months, and this new god and his two brothers are there, preening over some of us. I was told they were meant to help Creation."

"How did you respond?"

He shrugged. "I didn't say anything. It wasn't my place...I didn't want..." Cloud looked away as he squeezed his fists into the steel. "It doesn't matter. I went along with it and went to visit my family afterwards.

"Then, I woke up to screams. There were demons attacking Nibelheim, and my family..."

Tifa put a hand on his shoulder. He turned his head to look at her, his ocean blue eyes filled with a pain she had had yet to see until now. The hurt he had inflicted on her such a short while ago was something he was sincerely familiar with, she realized now. "I'm sorry."

Cloud shook his head. "It was a long time ago." He took in a deep breath, then released it through his nose. "There were a few of us that fought back. My mentor, a few younger Espers, and the two I had been grouped with. An Esper of Phoenix, and an Esper of Alexander. We fought our way up the mountain, against demons and former comrades. Even some of Sephiroth's host showed up.

"The last push into the castle saw just me alive. As Sephiroth talked about his plans, I ran him through. He destroyed my village, killed my friends and family, and went against Minerva. I didn't know you could kill a god at the time, but apparently it's doable. The other deities don't appreciate that knowledge being spread, just so you know.

"Because if a mortal is strong or crazy or brave enough, if their weapon isn't just mundane metal, if the deity is too haughty...Well, this happens. I still don't know where Sephiroth went. Because of my friends, their deities believed me. I became an outcast with a chance." Cloud stood straight and rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess that was more than you asked for."

Tifa joined him, twiddling with her fingers. "But, I know you a lot better now."

The faintest of smiles formed on his face. Tifa wondered if it was an illusion from the light, because it faded a moment later. "I wish I could take back what I had to do," he admitted. 

"I wish you could, too." She pursed her lips; was this all they had between each other, regrets? This was the god she was supposed to be in service to, but to her it wouldn't be a master-servant relationship, it would be with... "I still...I still have raw feelings about what you...had...to do in Nibelheim." She took in a deep breath.

He nodded with a morose expression. "I understand completely. After this is all over, if you want—"

"But I want to try to put that behind us...considering the circumstances that made you do it." 

Cloud blinked. "I-you what?"

Slowly, she brought her hand up. "You did what you knew was right. I can't help how I feel about it, but I can help how I move forward." She would get revenge on Abyssion and Kadaj for what they had caused. If it weren't for them, Nibelheim would be fine right now. She could have even been proper friends with Cloud right now, instead of this cobbled mess.

He hesitated, then cautiously brought his hand to gently grasp hers. She squeezed, and he returned it. "Thank you." He looked down at their joined hands, then his azure eyes looked into hers with an overly serious look. "...And, I'll have your back."

"...You will?" 

He nodded resolutely. "If you're ever in a pinch, I'll come." The god swallowed hard. "I promise."

As they released their handshake, Tifa put her hands to her mouth to suppress a giggle. Cloud frowned and crossed his arms. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing!" She put her hands down, but she was still smiling. "When I thought about the times you already did that, it's just...you already had my back."

He snorted. "Well, it's more official now."

Tifa held a slight pink blush on her cheeks at his proclamation. She nodded, then beckoned him to follow her on a walk around the boat. He truly was just a man in a queer spot, she thought. When she thought of gods she thought of arrogant, larger than life beings that would sooner crush a mortal under their foot than take lip from them.

She glanced at Cloud as he looked over the railing and towards a distant, lonesome island. He had his moments, she could admit to herself. But all things considered, he was only cocky once in a while. "So, you took an Esper's relic?" she asked casually.

Cloud nodded before dipping a hand into one of his pockets. Soon after a silver chain was glimmering in the sunlight, holding a beautifully elegant relic. The power within struck Tifa as it came into view, as if his pants had been shielding its energy. "It's in the form of a sea serpent, see? This is a relic of Leviathan's."

Tifa very gently touched the bauble. "It feels so different than any of the others."

"Yeah. Leviathan is a very powerful, unpredictable deity. She's the patron goddess of Wutai and the royal family." He paused before gently stowing it away in his pocket again. "Only the royal family becomes Her Espers."

She stared at him slack jawed. "We took a member of the royal family...hostage?"

He nodded. "Well, what else should we have done?"

Tifa's eyes darted around as she thought. "I...uh...I don't know."

"We'll let her go later." He began to walk again, and Tifa returned to his side. Cloud barely looked her way as he muttered "I also might have stowed her away in your room."

She snapped her head towards him. "What?!"

The god didn't answer, but for a creeping blush and a suppressed smile easily made out this time on his face. A disgusted sigh left her lips before she punched Cloud's arm. That was all she needed right now, to host a tied up, grouchy royal.


	12. Of Things to Come

"Let-me-out-of-here!" Yuffie stomped her feet against the wooden wall of where ever they had taken her, her limbs bound in what felt like linen. The room was pitch black, but she was on something very soft. Well, at least she hadn't awoken to some torture dungeon. That would be saved later, she reasoned. Yuffie began to work on loosening what tied her wrists behind her as her stomach lurched.

Why was she suffering motion sickness? She still had her relic, didn't she?  _ One thing after another... _

Perhaps, she thought, she shouldn't have left her group like that when they should have been going to Midgar together. Their boat had been heading to Junon, but this boat was heading to her homeland, and there was a very good chance the necromancer that was on the beach had boarded it. It was just rotten luck that Zack was in league with evil incarnate, and not trying to flush it out like she thought he was planning to do.

She should have known something was wrong when Zack began slipping in his responses to her questions. He didn't even look interested in finding a necromancer at all; but to entertain the thought that an Esper would side not only with one but with Sephiroth himself, the god against Creation...it was unbelievable.

Yuffie was still stomping her feet against the wall and swallowing bile when a light from above caught her eye. She winced and grimaced up at it. "I said let me out, not blind me!"

A light, feminine voice chimed in her ears. "Sorry!" A shadow fell over her. "Is that better?"

Yuffie peeked her eyes open a little, then slowly opened them as they adjusted to the light level. There was a giant woman's head looking at her with a curious gaze, her green eyes studying her intently. Her hand brushed away a few stray brown bangs. Yuffie blinked. "...A giant?"

The woman shook her head. "No, you're just very small." An amused smile was growing on her lips.

"What?" Yuffie took in her surroundings. She was laying on patterned linens, and the walls... "Where did you stuff me?"

"In a chest," she said simply. "You were minied."

Yuffie thrashed about in indignant frustration, despite the number it was doing on her stomach. She was a royal, made tiny and stowed away by some minion of the death god! "Great, now get me outta here, so I can kick your master's ass!"

The woman put a hand to her mouth and giggled. "Oh, Cloud's not so bad. Well, once you get to know him, that is."

"I don't know who Cloud is, and I don't wanna know him! I want out!" She began stomping on the wall again. A few moments later and she was being held up by the back of her shirt. "Nyaaaaah!"

"You wanted out," the woman pointed out.

"Aerith, what are you doing?"

Aerith and Yuffie looked towards a dark haired woman with eyes that on the redder side of brown. She took an interest in Yuffie, a frown growing on her face. "We really shouldn't be playing around with her."

Aerith shrugged. "She's going to have to be minied again soon, it's been hours! We don't want her to grow in the chest, do we?"

“Well, no, but..."

"Nice to see you too, Boobs!" Yuffie swung about in midair, and her shirt slipped out of Aerith's grip. She fell face first into the carpet before gracefully rolling away and under another piece of furniture, all the while the two women tried to grab her. "Nyah, nyah!"

There were hands grasping for her, but she was up against the wall. Quickly she began to loosen the fabric wrapped about her wrists; it was times like this she wished she had paid more attention to her rope escape classes. Fortunately, whoever tied her up didn't do a masterful job.

A groping hand grazed her arm, and she bit at one of the fingers. "Ah, she bit me!"

"Serves you right!" Yuffie taunted as her hands became unbound. Quickly she unknotted her ankles, then she began to crawl towards the side with the door. If she had to be minied soon, she could make it to the door as it wore off. Maybe.

"Tifa, get that pillow!"

She couldn't stay in one place. Yuffie poked her head out and took stock of the situation: Aerith was bent over and trying to grasp from under the drawer, and Tifa was at the bed. Looking in front of her, there was another piece of furniture to hide under. She darted towards it, then dodged the hand grabbing for her. She did a dive and a roll, but she was exposed now.

_ Damn. _

Yuffie blinked as a ripple went through her, then the women looked...not as big. She quickly glanced around, cackled, then charged towards the door. "Stupid necromancers!"

That was when she heard a gasped cry, then felt something bony grab her arm. Then her other arm was grabbed. Yuffie was twisted around, all the while hearing a hollow rattling noise about her. Forced to her knees, she found herself looking up at that strange blond man that claimed to be death himself. She took a quick look at what was holding her before glaring back at him again; skeletons.

He crossed his arms across his chest and raised a golden brow. "And where do you think  _ you're _ going?"

Yuffie scowled at him. "You don't own me, short stuff! I go where I want!" She looked to either side of her and glared at the skeletons restraining her. “Let me go, you bags of bones!” They merely rattled where they stood.

The man narrowed his icy blue eyes. "You really don't know when to shut up, do you?"

"And  _ you _ don't know when to let a babe like me go!"

"Hey, hey. Let's all calm down and talk this over, okay?" Aerith asked with her hands up in a calming manner. It didn’t help Yuffie’s mood at all.

"I'm here to kick your ass, not talk!" Yuffie thrashed in the grip of the skeletons, which only rattled their bones together.

"How are you going to do that,  _ princess _ ?" The blond man had a smug look growing on his face. "You're missing something, can't you tell?"

"I—" She looked down at her chest. They really  _ had _ taken her relic! "M-my relic!" Yuffie tried to lunge at the smirking stranger. "You spikey headed jerk!"

"Enough!" The woman named Tifa walked up to them, her face giving them all an exasperated glare. "Cloud, let her go. Yuffie, we want to talk to you about some things."

"What part of kick your ass, not talk, are you not getting?!" A wave of nausea came over her; the adrenaline keeping away her motion sickness was ebbing.

Cloud rolled his eyes. "You don't even know who you're trying to fight."

"Yuffie," Aerith began again, "I know we may have started out on the wrong foot. But at least give us a chance to explain everything."

"I...ugh...what could you  _ possibly _ have to say?" She motioned towards a skeleton with her head in a very slow, ginger fashion. "You're holdin' me down with these guys!"

"You didn't leave me with much choice," Cloud responded. He let out a sigh, then dropped his hands to his sides. "I'd rather just sleep you again and drop you off in Wutai when we reach port."

"Cloud!" Tifa came a bit closer and clasped her hands together in a somewhat pleading manner. "Please, can we have a truce for now? You want answers, don't you?"

Yuffie grumbled under her breath before biting her lip. Yes, she wanted to know what was going on, because this was not what she expected at all. An Esper had betrayed her, there were necromancers asking for a chat, and she was being held by skeletons. "...Fine. Now let me go!"

"On your royal line, you won't run off?" Cloud raised a brow again.

"Yeeeeeeeeessss, now get your little pets offa me!"

She found herself on the ground a few moments later as the skeletons released her, and her waxing nausea forced her to hug the ground. Yuffie put a hand to her mouth and let out a quiet burp. "Ugh..."

Aerith hummed a little. "Maybe we could get some tea ready for this?"

“You do that, I’ll get Zack,” said Tifa.

It didn't take long, but it felt like forever. Yuffie sat on the chest that had held her, a warm cup of ginger tea cradled in her hands; she had been offered a tranquilizer, but it was taking its time going through her system. The scent of the tea was comforting to her nerves and stomach, at least. She glanced behind her, at those two skeletons guarding the door. Keeping her here.

She turned back, first taking a look at the small window. It was dark already? They must have gotten her good. These four wanted to talk to her, after sleeping her, making her small, and taking her relic. Yuffie sipped her tea, then loudly huffed. "So, what're ya sellin' me?"

They sat on the two beds in the room, since there were no chairs. Each were sampling their tea, and they now had their attention on Yuffie. She eyed Zack critically, since he had led her on. He nervously smiled in a disarming fashion, rubbing the back of his head. "Well," he began, "I guess I gotta say sorry first."

Yuffie rolled her eyes. "Yeah, real sorry. Now what the hell is goin' on?!"

"Abyssion is coming back." Aerith tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "His demons destroyed Nibelheim, it's the town I was sent to practice for." She noticed Yuffie's raised brow, then clarified, "I'm a priestess of the church, not a necromancer."

Tifa nodded. "There's no necromancers here."

"Nuh-uh, I felt one!"

The ruby eyed woman shook her head, then raised a pendant from her chest that gleamed of silver metal. "I'm an Esper. That's what you felt."

"Necromancers don't have such a powerful energy trail, unless they have a relic," Cloud pointed out. "Anyway, we want to stop Abyssion. Kadaj has already been unsealed, and Yazoo won't be far behind."   
  
"My partners went to Junon to warn about that." Zack sipped from his cup, then rotated it in his hands. "If they know, maybe they can prevent deaths, y'know?"

Yuffie took a long swig of her tea. They want her to believe what? "You wanna stop Abyssion? How should I know if you aren't workin' for him? Maybe you're all responsible for what happened to Nibelheim, huh?" She narrowed her eyes. "Why are you going to Wutai, anyway?"

"We need the Spear of Creation piece," Aerith explained. "We already have the middle part."

"You what?!" Yuffie nearly dropped her cup. "You want somethin' that my family, and Wutai as a whole's been guarding for centuries?" She shook her head in disbelief. "Leviathan Herself would eat you all for even considering it!"

"Well, maybe you can help us?"

"I don't know you freaks! You could be usin' it for Abyssion for all I know!"

Cloud let out a sigh as the ceramic of his tea cup left his lips. "Do you even know who and what Abyssion is? He's the embodiment of the Void itself." He stopped to study Yuffie, then continued. "He's known as the god of destruction, but he's more than that..."

"Because he's Minerva's twin," Aerith replied.

Cloud nodded. "The difference between them is their vision for the universe. Instead of working together, they fought. When Minerva won, Abyssion licked his wounds in the Void. Minerva created everything to Her liking as he sulked and schemed."

Zack looked his way. "Wait, Minerva's no different than Abyssion?"

"Well, Minerva made us." Aerith looked between Cloud and Zack. "So I suppose that means She would look at us differently than Abyssion would."

"Right. We're a part of Her order."

Tifa hummed into her cup as it sat near her lips. "But Sephiroth wanted to work with  _ him _ ?"

The blond shrugged. "He promised a new world after this one was swept away. Sephiroth wanted to be a part of that plan..."

"And that's another thing!" Yuffie pointed at Cloud. "You said you're the god of death!"

"I am."

"But you're not Sephiroth?" It made no sense to her at all.

"I slayed him, and took his place. It wasn't how I expected things would go, but life likes to throw curveballs." His eyes traveled towards Tifa in what was almost a shy manner to Yuffie. "And it's been throwing a lot of those lately." Cloud's eyes went back to the princess. "If we can repair the Spear of Creation, we might be able to seal away Abyssion for good."

Yuffie looked him up and down with a skeptical eye. He didn't look like deity material. "I feel like you're all pullin' my leg." Maybe if he did a little more she could feign to believe him, then get her relic back if he was stupid enough to fall for it. Then she could disappear into Wutai and warn her family of these nutjobs seeking a part of the Spear of Creation.

He pointed beyond her, at the skeletons. "Necromancers can't pull them out of nowhere."

She shrugged dismissively as her eyes sneaked a peek at the stoic, undead monsters. "Maybe I didn't see'em at first."

"I think she wants a demonstration, Cloud," Zack said with a little bit of a cheeky smile. "I mean, unless she saw you like we have, it's kinda hard to imagine."

A considerate expression crossed Cloud's face as he looked back from the Esper. "I guess you're right."

Then he wasn't there anymore.

He was gone. There was just Aerith, Tifa and Zack. Their eyes took notice of something behind her, and Yuffie looked back, then up at an imposing, towering figure in dark robes. The ends of the inky fabric flitted about like ethereal matter, and whatever face was hiding under the hood was obscured by shadows. An arm slowly came up in an almost exhibitionist manner, the hand bony claws.  _ "Is this good enough for you, princess?" _

Death was standing right behind her. And then she felt her head become light, and everything fell into darkness.

 

* * *

 

 

"She's still out cold," Tifa sighed out. She put the bed covers over the teen as she rested on her bed.

"Man. We should've taken an airship. We'd be in Wutai by now." Zack was standing next to her, watching as she cared for Yuffie. It was such a contrast to what he assumed she was when they had first met. 

Aerith tsked at his side. "An airship would be a lot more dangerous, don't you think? If Garuda caught wind—"

"Was that a pun?" Zack interrupted with a slight smile.

She stomped her foot and gave him an unconvincing pout. "No! But if She noticed us, it would be a lot harder to escape with our lives, since we'd be up in the air."

"Oh. Yeah, I guess a ship is just a little less risky."

Aerith shrugged nonchalantly. "With Leviathan, only a little bit."

Tifa had listened to their short discussion with little interest, her reddish eyes still on Yuffie as she rested peacefully on the bed. They decided against shrinking her again unless it was necessary, but what to do when she woke up? "Well, this complicates things, doesn't it?"

Cloud let out a grunt, as if he was barely paying attention to her. His skeletons still guarded the door, and he was facing them and not the beds. His hands were on his hips, and his head was pointed down. Tifa frowned at him. "Are you alright?"

"Hm?" He turned back to finally look at her. 

Aerith came over to him, put her hands behind her back, then bent forward to study him. Cloud gave her an insouciant look, though she lingered on his eyes. "Something's wrong?"

Cloud pursed his lips, as if he didn't wish to say. "I...don't know."

"Don't know?" Zack scratched at his cheek with a finger. "Something's got you spooked, man."

"I felt...something. Here."

Tifa's eyes lit up as she finally understood what he meant, and it gave her a feeling of unease. "You know when a lot of people are going to die."

He slowly, hesitantly nodded, then looked the three in the eye, one by one. "It kinda hit me suddenly. I don't know if it's a fluke or what, but...I feel there's going to be a lot of dead people on this ship, very soon."

“Hmm, don't you know these things in advance?" Aerith straightened up, and tapped at her cheek with her index finger. "You came to Nibelheim the day before Kadaj was unsealed."

"That's why I'm unsure. It just came all of a sudden." Cloud put a hand to his forehead and shook his head, blinking as some force or signal communicated with the god. "I should know several days ahead. But this...We might have hours."

"Then we have to do something," Tifa demanded. "If we can save anyone..."

"I'm not sure what we can do."

Aerith scoffed. "It doesn't mean we shouldn't try."

Zack nodded enthusiastically. "That's right! Every life matters." He pointed at Cloud. "You gave Aerith a Restore materia because you wanted us to try, right?"

"I did." The god bit his lip. He wasn't sure what was going to happen, and how his party would be adversely affected by the event. Why now? It had left him feeling apprehensive. He had never had something come up so quickly and without warning, nor so close to where he was residing.

But they had to do something if they could. He was the god of death, but there was enough death in the world as it was. Cloud felt resolute with his allies; it was time to prevent a tragedy again. He firmly nodded. "Let's mosey."

Turning towards the door, his skeletal servants moved out of the way. When he twisted the doorknob and opened up into the hall, the smell of blood and death sent him into a state of surprise and despair.


	13. Trail of Blood

There was a trail of blood and corpses leading down the warmly lit hallway, the dead mangled in such a way that it was as if they had halfway gone through a blender. The boat was wrapped in lifeless silence, but for the sounds of the sea and engines. As he studied the atrocity in front of him, Cloud could only wonder why he hadn't felt it sooner. Why? Why didn't he feel it, and what caused this?

"Do I smell blood?"

Cloud looked over his shoulder at Zack with an uneasy glance, then nodded. He moved out of the doorway and ordered his skeletons back to their sentry over the door with a silent point of his finger. "I...Something happened. I don't know..."

Zack shoved by the skeletons as they came to stand at ease, making them knock about like wooden windchimes. "Oh, shit." He came back to the group, anxiety plastered all over his paling face. "What did that?"

The god shook his head helplessly. "I don't know." He took in a deep breath, reluctant to say what had come to pass, right under his nose. "We're the only ones left alive," he answered mournfully.

The others had a look of surprise on their faces as he made his claim. Tifa put a hand under her mouth as she looked between the door and Yuffie. "We can't keep her in here," she concluded.

Aerith nodded. "Yeah. What if you're the reason we aren't dead, Cloud?"

Cloud shrugged, completely unsure as to why they were alive, but no one else was. "I don't know. I felt it as it happened, I wasn't doing anything protective..." He crossed his arms as he thought it over.  _ Maybe... _ "...The spearpiece?"

The priestess stilled, then fetched the piece from the top of the drawer. "Do you think it shielded us?" she asked reverently as she held the broken wood in her hand.

"It's possible." He looked at it, the door, then Yuffie. No matter that she was an annoying pest, he was going to have to keep her alive as they figured out what was happening. Cloud walked over to the bed to gently rouse the teenage Esper. "Hey...wake up. This isn't the time to be taking a nap!"

He gave her a few good shakes before she snorted awake. Yuffie looked about wildly, then locked eyes with Cloud. She scooted away from him and to the corner of the bed. "T-that's close enough!"

"Yuffie. You need to come with us."

She shook her head. "Nah, I'm good. You go do your death god stuff away from me!"

"Yuffie," Tifa started as she walked towards the edge of the bed, "something happened, and we need you to stay with us to keep you safe."

Yuffie leaned towards her and narrowed her eyes. "I'd be safe with my relic back. And if I was away from you freaks."

"Maybe you shouldn't have swam off towards the boat," Cloud drawled out. "I might be a god, but I don't know what's happened to the passengers on the boat..." He made a grimacing face. "I mean I do, I just don't know who or what did it."

"What do you mean? Did you kill everyone on the ship?" she asked, her voice rising with indignation.

He rolled his eyes. "I just said I don't know who!"

"He probably would have killed you first," Aerith pointed out.

Yuffie brought her arms up in anxious exasperation. "Nice to know!"

Cloud pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yuffie. Everyone but us is dead on this ship."

Her brow quirked up. "Yeah? And ya don't think that's just a  _ little _ suspicious from my point of view?"

His hand slid off his face, and he nodded slowly. "I get that. But there's really no reason for us to make such a scene." If they got to Wutai in one piece, a boat filled with mutilated corpses would just send up red flags. "...I don't want you to end up like them."

"Then don't kill me?"

Tifa stood next to Cloud, shouldering him a little as she partially went in front of him. She wore a pleading stare. "Yuffie, we're in the dark about what happened, and...we're gonna find out." She anxiously brought her hands together in front of her pelvis. "But we would like you to be with us, in case some force kept us from the same fate as those people."

She shook her head. "I really don't feel like hangin' around you guys, after everything." Yuffie let out a little hum, and tapped her cheek with a finger. "I'm just a normal human now, anyway."

Cloud reluctantly took her relic out of his pocket and dangled it in front of her. She gave him a needy, desperate scowl. "Is this what you want?"

She leaned closer. "Give. It. Back."

"After you come with us, sure. I promise." He pocketed it again.

"I can trust you as far as I can throw you!"

Cloud turned away from her, and put a hand on the back of Tifa’s shoulder. "Death doesn't make promises lightly. Alright, let's find who did this."

Zack nodded solemnly. "I'll see if I can get a trail." He walked past the skeletons, then as his relic’s orb glowed, he changed into a large, black wolf. He sniffed around the hall, wincing at the terrible way the bodies were, but continued on despite the horror show.

"Oh, gods...I'm already feelin' kinda sick as it is, and now I gotta look at this!" Yuffie lurked behind the others, though if she wished to escape the group, she would have to contend with those two skeletons guarding their rear. She felt she was between a jagged rock and a very hard place.

Tifa looked back at her, her eyes conveying her understanding. "I don't like it, either." She slowed down to walk next to her. "Abyssion, Kadaj...They take away all the things and people you love..."

She looked towards the back of Cloud's head, his shoulders sagging as he looked at the carnage on either side of the group. "I...He's not a bad guy. Cloud, I mean," she said softly.

"You sound like you're trying to convince yourself," Yuffie tested with a huff.

"...Maybe. Maybe I am. That's okay."

"I'm right here," Cloud said in a slightly testy voice.

They traveled quietly through the ship, hearing not even the squeak of a stowaway rat. It was an eerie sort of quiet, one that shouldn't be so loud in their ears. The trail Zack had found eventually led down towards the engine room, the thrum of the machinery continuing on as if nothing had happened to the crew.

"It ends here," Zack stated after returning to a human form. He rubbed the back of his head, anxiety exposed on his face as he took note of his companions' expressions. They were much the same as his.

"So," Aerith began, "what did it smell like?"

He opened his mouth to speak, but then he cast his eyes downward with a thoughtful frown. "I can't properly describe it. Didn't smell human, I can tell ya that much...Hm...Unnatural, that’s what comes to mind."

Cloud chewed on his lip as he stared at the door to the engine room. There was rust and a small splattering of blood on the front of it, and the feeling of something  _ wrong _ on the other side. He took in a deep breath; he was a god, not a mortal!  _ So why so afraid? _   
  
He turned around to meet the eyes of the people he dragged into this mess.

"Yuffie," he called out as he beckoned her to come closer with his hand.  _ Just in case... _

Warily she stared at him, then cautiously came closer. "Sendin' me in first, hot shot?"

Cloud shook his head, then presented her with her relic. "Promise fulfilled. Just stay with us, or I'll come after you myself. Got it?"

"Gimmie!" Her hands greedily grasped at her relic, relief welling in her stomach as she put it on with haste. "Ahhhh...."

The god let out a grunt, then turned back to the door. Whatever was behind it was patiently waiting for them. He stretched out his hand and pushed down the long, metal knob. Then he pushed forward, the rusty door hinges creaking and protesting. He watched in front of him as it swung open.

Nothing but a few bodies.

The engine thrum was loud, and there was some clear lighting coming from the ceiling for whomever would have been working. The engine itself was a large mass of machinery twenty feet from the door. There was an upper floor, filled with whatever other computers and machinery would be needed.

Cloud took step after cautious step in the engine's direction. He could hear the others following behind, just as paranoid as he was. Maybe even more, since they were mortal. He looked about, but saw nothing ready to leap out at them. That strange, almost familiar energy was all around him now, though. The hairs on the back of his neck were raised; not in five hundred years had he felt like this.

_ "...After a long sleep... _

_...the time... _

_...time has...come..." _ __   
__   
"Not funny, creep!" Yuffie protested from somewhere behind the rest of the party.

He shook his head as he eyed the area in front of him. "No...No, it wasn't me." He swallowed. "Who..."

Suddenly out of the floor came a form foreign to all but the blond. Flowing silver hair covered the back of a body clad in thick, ebony leather. Even with his back to Cloud, he was as elegant, impressive, and devilish as the last day he had seen him.

"Sephiroth!"

"That's Sephiroth...?" mumbled a few behind him.

Slowly, Sephiroth turned around where he floated to gaze at the ragtag group gawking at him. He was as perfect in form as a god would be thought to be, tall and proud just by virtue of existing. His chest was partially exposed, revealing a powerful, lean body with an almost alabaster skin. The features on his face were angular and almost otherworldly, most especially his soul green eyes that detachedly observed them.

"Good to see you, Cloud." His voice was low, smooth and almost teasing. The silver haired man looked down at Cloud, regarding him quietly. "I see you've been busy in my stead."

Cloud grimaced upwards at his former master, shock fading into a simmering rage. There were so many questions that wanted to bubble up and out of his mouth: how are you not dead, where did you go, what were you planning? But at that moment, only one came through. "What have you done?!"

"I have freed them from the grips of the old world, to become a part of me and the world that is to come." Sephiroth held out his hands to his sides. "I have much to thank you for, Cloud."

The blond vehemently shook his head, his wide blades appearing in his hands. "I'll only ever try to stop you!"

A chuckle escaped Sephiroth's lips. "I offer you a place in this new world, Cloud. Be by my side, and create a paradise Minerva would never give."

"You took everything and everyone from me, Sephiroth. My friends, family..." Cloud closed his eyes as he remembered their last, terrified moments. He opened them again to banish the memories. "Do you think I'd forget it so easily?"

"Were they so important?" The silver haired man looked disdainful, yet amused. "I can bring them back, if they are  _ so _ important to you."

Cloud grew a puzzled expression on his face. "Bring them back...? They were killed by Abyssion's demons!"

Sephiroth nodded, his subtle, triumphant smirk still on his perfect face. "It is within  _ my _ power now. The power to destroy, the power to mold this world like putty...Would you like to see how easy it would be?"

"No..."  _ What is dead is dead. _

His protest fell on deaf ears. To Cloud's absolute surprise and horror, another form he hadn't seen in half a millenia formed out of dark aether. She was as stunning as the day they had met by the village well, with greenish-blonde, wavy hair in a ponytail and slate blue eyes on her shy face. He bit his tongue as he looked upon her scarlet ensemble, the simple red dress and pink lace sash, a gift he had scrounged up for on his travels.

It was  _ her _ . The sweet girl that lived near his family house, the one he shyly brought to meadows to court, the one he was coming home to Nibelheim for after finding just the right ring half a world away. The woman he wanted to have a family with, though the dream had been dashed the very next day.

Her eyes gazed into his. "Cloud...?"

"Terra!" He nearly choked on her name.

"You wish to have your precious sweetheart, to rule side-by-side with you?" Sephiroth brought his hand out in offering. "Come, find your place at my side."

Terra limply moved towards him, a hand clutching her chest. "Cloud...! What is going on? Where are we?" 

His swords disappeared and he met her, embracing her warmly. She smelled the same as he remembered, of wildflowers and pine. Cloud gave her torso a gentle squeeze, confirming she was there and not an illusion. Her hands wrapped around his waist and she felt so warm and alive. "Ah, you're shaking...Are you alright?"

"Mhm," he muttered. 

"Cloud, you aren't gonna trust him, are you?" Aerith asked from behind him, finally out of her silent spell caused by shock.

Terra's eyes looked behind him. "Who are they?"

"They...?" He looked over at his group, and Tifa’s confused, worried face caught his eye. The young woman he watched grow up from a distance, rarely ever crossing paths. He hadn't really lived since that day so long ago, but now...

Tifa's red eyes continued to show her misgivings towards the scene in front of her. Her voice was questioning, pleading. "Cloud."

Cloud turned to face Terra again, and his hand thumbed her cheek as a lugubrious expression formed on his face. He stared deeply into her pale blue orbs, then his glare traveled to those venomous cat eyes looming above them all, testing him. "I won't stop until you've paid for everything you've done, Sephiroth."

"Hmph. Well, that's alright. I don't need the god of death's permission to finish what Abyssion had started." He looked barely phased by Cloud's refusal to join him, as if it truly didn't matter one way or another. It had simply been a courtesy. "I know what you search for. No matter if you find it or not, this world is long to be reborn, and you all with it."

He disappeared with a puff of darkness, leaving them all in the depths of the ship. The gloom in the air had eased at his departure, but Terra still stood. She was holding to Cloud as if she were cold. 

"Cloud, I thought...I thought you loved me..."

His hand cupped the back of her head, bringing her closer. "Terra I do, but—"

Pain struck his chest as her embrace grew tighter. It was a sensation he had gone without for centuries, but here it came in spades. Terra’s grip was like a horrible vice, and she whispered into his ear "you defy Lord Sephiroth..."

Cloud tried to push her away, but to no avail. "He's why we never had a future...!" he grunted out. "Terra!"

"That's enough of your little lover's spat, buddy!" Zack began to grab at Cloud's shoulders; Tifa was ferociously grasping at Terra's waist to pull her from the god. It wasn't working very well.

"You guys should have known better!" Yuffie scolded before throwing her fist into Terra's now warped, demonic face.

She let go, and Tifa tumbled to the floor with her as Cloud collapsed by Zack's feet, gasping and holding a wound on his chest. He finally got a good look at Terra again, his former love looking more and more like a feral, violet demon; something else in his chest was being cut into. Then he noticed Terra's attention going to Tifa, and he began to scramble.  _ Not her. _ "Tifa!"

Terra tried to ram her fist into the pugilist, but only cracked the floor of the room instead as she moved her head. Tifa tucked her legs in and kicked the demonic woman away and into the pipes lining the wall. She quickly stood up and positioned herself to fight, watching Terra as she recovered. The demon’s eyes flickered to the relic, then a possessive red glow took over her black orbs. Terra began charging towards the Esper with an enraged howl.  **_"Mine! He's mine! I won’t let you have him!"_ **

A large shuriken pierced her shoulder, then she was slammed backwards and onto the floor by Zack’s broad sword, bleeding and growling as her now chitinous skin darkened from violet to black. She came up in a flash, then tore into the two skeletons Cloud ordered to shield his friends.

Then there was an echoing howl as Terra dissipated, her dissolving form going from black to pure white light.  _ "Free..." _

They stared at the spot, with bones scattered about, to Aerith, the priestess holding the spear piece, her emerald eyes hard and focused. Then she slowly put it down as a melancholy expression graced her face. She looked at Cloud. "I'm so sorry..."

Cloud shook his head as he walked towards the door, holding his chest. "It's on Sephiroth's head, not yours."

"So, what're we gonna do now?" Zack's voice was filled with uncertainty. "The whole crew is dead, and we're just floating out at sea."

"I'll handle it," Cloud said curtly. He turned around one last time, giving Tifa an expression she couldn't interpret, and she one to him that was begging for answers. With a heavy sigh on his lips, he walked out to be alone with his thoughts.

_ Sephiroth was back. _ Did Abyssion bring him back, or...? Why didn't he kill them where they stood? Arrogant. Arrogant as a true god would be, that was Sephiroth. Cloud squeezed his fists as he floated up towards the bridge. They had to get to Wutai, no matter Sephiroth's boasts.

He took note of how many crew lay dead, then summoned up what he thought he might need. They were a little wet for his tastes, but he reasoned, that was how some died. Not that it was the captain's fault; that storm five years ago had been too powerful and sudden, or so he had been told. "Captain, are you familiar with this sort of ship?"

The zombie's glossy eyes looked about the bridge and his old crew. His face was mostly intact, except where the fish had nibbled on his pale gray skin. "It's about the same as I'm used to," he responded in a gurgling voice. "Where do you want us to take you, King of the Mountain?"

"To Wutai, as fast as you can."

The captain zombie gave a salute that sprayed droplets of water from his soaked uniform, then he turned to his crew members. "Alright slags, let's get this hunk of metal to the port in Wutai!" Squishy footsteps hustled about towards one computer or machine, the zombies working towards their master's desire. 

"Thank you," Cloud said before departing.

He took a drag of sea air as the boat began to lurch and go faster, his eyes on the slightly waning moon. Cloud checked his injury, and found it was healing already. How did Terra do this? Of course, she wasn’t a part of Creation anymore, but still, demons ignored him, when if they could harm him, why pass on the opportunity?

_ Terra... _

His eyes went towards the glittering stars. He felt forlorn, conflicted. What was in the past was in the past, but what just happened...Cloud took in a deep breath. It was torment, pure torment. He had to watch someone he loved die not once, but twice. Was this quest even worth it? It had to be, if just for a chance at revenge.

Another little question bothered his mind, one that was planted by Kadaj that Sephiroth reminded him of: if it wasn't a lie, how did he help kill Minerva?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to thank MarleNadia for giving me my beta and her suggestions through the story! Her help has put a lot of pep into parts that were a little flat. I'd also like to thank tocasia, kitsydemon, and spiritqueenie for their reviews! While this is supernatural/adventure/drama, I hope you're all enjoying the romance in the background. What will happen next? Probably more shit hitting the fan.
> 
> Terra sort of just came out there, I guess because Clerra works so well. And finally, the real Sephiroth makes an appearance!


	14. Traitors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaayyyyy we're gonna see how Genesis and Angeal are doing now! I had Marle_Nadia help with a name for Nunchuck(Male), and went for Ganso, goose in Portuguese. Much thanks to her for betaing, and to my readers for enjoying!

"Well, there she goes..."

Cissnei looked out to sea, watching helplessly as the hot blooded princess of Wutai swam towards a boat headed in the opposite from theirs. She sighed as a green-blue fish tail pushed Yuffie quickly towards her target. "She never listens."

Ganso shrugged, his long denim vest slowly fluttering in the breeze, then turned to Cissnei. "There's nothing we can do, except contact Wutai. Neither of us can swim or fly fast enough to join her."

She pursed her lips, looking at Ganso and then at Yuffie in the distance. "We told her we were going to do that."

"Well, if the necromancer is really on that ship, she should still have difficulty doing anything to Yuffie. Cruise boats are quite busy." He watched some seagulls that trailed their ship with disinterest. "And there was another Esper boarding that ship."

Cissnei nodded. It had been faint that morning, only noticeable if one were not preoccupied, but there had been several others in the vicinity; two had entered this ship, so one must have been Wutai bound. "She'll have help."

"Wonder why it was just one." Ganso tilted his head a little. "They must have been with those other two we met."

"It just seems strange, especially since word of what happened to Nibelheim has reached the rest of the world. They never said where they had been." Cissnei ran a hand through her wavy, cinnamon colored hair. Espers shouldn't be so distant from one another, and those two seemed unwilling to speak to them for long. They had said they were going to Junon from the west after hearing about Nibelheim, but when did they hear of it? Had they gone through Corel, or Gongaga?

The blond hummed as a sea breeze blew over them. "Well, the church would know, I'm sure."

There wasn't much they could do but watch as a speck on the cruise ship began crawling towards the deck and out of their sight. First they had to stop her as she left Bismark's church, then try to fill her in and hope she was paying attention. Then they had to cajole her onto the ferry to Junon when she felt a dark presence approaching the harbor. They cared about Yuffie, but she could be a handful.

A handful that passed itself to another, unwitting Esper. Ganso laughed a little. "Maybe we should find those other two, they should warn their friend about her."

Cissnei grinned despite her nagging worry. "That might be best."

The ferry was smaller than the cruise ship, so they figured they would have less trouble finding them than Yuffie with her new partner. The two walked to the other side of the ship, the breeze playing with Ganso's vest and Cissnei's yellow skirt. They found the other two Espers at the bow, leaning over the edge and presumably watching the horizon.

They walked up to them, and Cissnei cleared her throat to get their attention. The two men turned and raised their brows at her, then stood straight in anticipation of a conversation. Eyes looked behind them for an instant before focusing on them again. Angeal nodded. "Hello again. Anything we can help you with?"

Ganso nodded, then pointed his thumb in the direction they came. "Our third wheel decided to take a little swim without us."

Genesis' brow shot up further. "...She did, did she?"

"Yeah." Cissnei tightened her jaw. They had to have felt that darkness at the harbor this morning...Maybe that was why. "She felt that the necromancer that attacked the Espers last night went onto the Wutai bound ship, and she is the Crown Princess. So, if your friend is on that ship, maybe you could call them up to warn them?"

They both visibly paled, despite the bright sunlight, then looked at each other slowly. After a very long moment they looked back at them, with something akin to mild horror. "Ah, I'll have to contact him before either of them get into too much trouble."

"Thanks," Ganso replied. He cocked his head and put his hands on his hips. "Hey, how come he was heading towards Wutai, anyway?"

"Mm, Well..." Genesis looked a little flustered to the other three. "I suppose we'll have to get ahold of him, before they both get in over their heads." He gave a curt nod. "Thank you for alerting us."

"Certainly," Cissnei said cheerfully, hiding the nagging feeling in her chest. They were acting strangely, stiff from the moment the conversation began. She wondered if they were hiding something, but what could it possibly be?

Ganso softly bumped his shoulder into her, and she turned to him. "Wanna catch a nap?"

She nodded, then turned back to the other two Espers with a smile she hoped didn't seem too strained. "See you in Junon."

Angeal nodded back in a gracious manner. "That we will."

Cissnei followed Ganso towards the small living quarters they had on the boat. They weren't the most comfortable beds one could find themselves resting on, but their journey would only take a day and a half. Not that they were going down there for a nap; they needed to talk in private.

They were almost to their room when they noticed a tall man standing by the door, arms crossed over his chest and the traditional white robes of the Midgar church worn on his body. Cissnei frowned at the man with graying, light brown hair and vivid green eyes. "Excuse me, sir?"

He turned at her voice and looked pleased to see them. "Ah, just who I was hoping to see on this dreary ferry! I'm the Metropolitan of the western half of the continent, Uzal."

Their eyes widened. "Metropolitan Uzal!" Ganso straightened up at the revelation; a metropolitian was a bishop over an area and all the churches within. "I-I didn't know we would have such a guest to protect on board!" 

"I almost missed the boat, good Esper!"

"Is Metropolitan Bes on board, too?" Cissnei asked. If one Metropolitian was here, perhaps the other would be, too.

Uzal waved his hand dismissively. "No, he is on his way to Midgar through Gongaga. I had to cut through Corel as soon as news of Nibelheim had reached my ears as I visited Rocket City." He adjusted his glasses on his nose. "It did not take long, but I was witness to some of the spreading devastation of the Nibel area. Cosmo Canyon has begun the ritual of summoning Ifrit, to delay the spread of disease eastward."

"So it's true. Kadaj has been released." Cissnei put her crooked finger to her lip. The gods would be summoned if they hadn't taken notice of what was happening to the mortal realm, and both man and deity would have to find a way to stop Abyssion again. If it was possible, that was. She took in a deep breath. "We were making our way to Midgar, through Junon."

Uzal nodded slowly, then studied the two silently. "There had been no survivors in Nibelheim, from what had been reported. I'm sure you have heard something on the radio by now, though nothing so blunt. But two survivors walk this very boat."

The two Espers froze, their faces numb at the implication. Someone aboard the ship had survived, or more than likely were involved in the incident. Ganso finally spoke up. "Who?"

"The other two Espers aboard the ship, sadly," Uzal said in a morose voice. "They had been sent out to investigate a necromancer sighting in Nibelheim. It seems we sent three traitors to Creation, because soon after their arrival had the town been leveled and the townsfolk slaughtered."

"But Angeal and Genesis are known loyalists to the church! How could this be?" Cissnei felt a terrible conflict in her heart at the news. The two had been spoken of as exterminators of necromancers and dark cultists, but their coolness spoke volumes.

Uzal gave her a look that expressed how disturbing the situation was. "I cannot say why they have sided with the forces of destruction, only that they have."

He sighed low and continued. "To think that they released the essence of pestilence himself on the world...I fear that they wish to release Yazoo."

"Because he was sealed near Junon," Ganso mumbled. No wonder they had been so distant. 

Cissnei stepped forward a little. "One of them separated from them and went towards Wutai!"

Uzal's brows twitched upwards. "Wutai, you say?"

She nodded. "Yes. The necromancer that was seen last night went on that boat, too." The thought of an Esper escorting a necromancer was disgusting. How one chosen by a god could see to being in cahoots with someone who played with corpses was an unfathomable abomination.

The metropolitian put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I am sorry, child. Darkness works even within the light of the church. We may be vigilant, but at times evil will slip in."

"So, what will you have us do?" Ganso asked. If there were allies to Abyssion and Sephiroth on the boat, something had to be done to neutralize the threat they posed.

Uzal's fingers went to his chin, and he slowly rubbed them against his skin. His green eyes went from one relic to the other, and his face brightened. "I'm certain you two could restrain the both of them with the powers granted to you both."

It was true, they could do so together. Cissnei had been chosen by Siren, the goddess of song that was heralded by a chorus of small birds and gentle breezes. Ganso, on the other hand, had been chosen by the diminutive Carbuncle, the deity who created the seals that kept the evil gods from spreading malice over the world. Though small, he was great in his power to protect; and so a small part of this power was granted to the blond haired Esper.

"We will see to it," Cissnei assured him. "But...when they're restrained, won't it look strange in public?"

Uzal shook his head and gave Ganso two pairs of handcuffs from a pocket in his robes. "No, I will have everything taken care of. What is church business is church business, and Espers are church business. They will be put on trial before the judges of Junon for heresy."

"Understood." The two left for the deck after escorting the priest to his room. Cissnei turned to Ganso as he touched the side pouch that held the handcuffs, partially hidden by his denim vest. "I'll charm one, and when we get them into their room, seal their relics."

"Sounds like a plan," the blond responded. "What a mess this is."

"A big, rotten mess," she sighed out as the light of day touched her brow and warmed her hair. Cissnei looked down at her relic as it rested on her white blouse to study it. It had an orb of yellow-green surrounded by the arms of a lyre and cradled by wings at the edge. She turned to look at Ganso's as he spied the few passerbys for the heretics.

Carbuncle's relic was one of copper with an always present green patina in the shape of the deity's head, with a richly colored ruby orb stuck in the middle of the forehead. It was one of the larger relics, ironic considering how small a being Carbuncle was said to be.

She lifted her brown eyes to help search, reassured by the presence around her neck. They had a job to do, and that was to prevent further tragedy from occurring. With Ganso next to her, they walked about the deck, checking where they last saw Genesis and Angeal.

The two heretics would have to be nearby.

They kept themselves as inconspicuous as possible as they passed a worker here and a passenger there. About a minute later they found the two very slowly walking together, periodically glancing the sea. Cissnei had to wonder how they could live with themselves, being traitors to everything they said they would uphold. 

She focused on the power of her relic, and sent out what she would describe as invisible feelers. Cissnei probed the two gently, looking for which one would be easiest to charm with a spell. Angeal felt solid as a rock, and she didn't prod; if he could feel her, that would be a problem. She began to focus on Genesis, and hoped he would be more pliable than his partner.

As it was, he had a weaker will to resist her charms. Not that it wasn't strong, but Siren's spell was more powerful than anything a human could do to him with a piece of materia. Genesis would be the bait; her focus on her relic deepened, and Cissnei cast a powerful charm spell.

There was some resistance, but she expected a little at the very least. Some surprise could be felt from Genesis, then calm. The charm had worked. Cissnei turned to Ganso and nodded. "Let's go back downstairs."

Quickly they retraced their steps on the deck, slowing down as they headed down the hall. It was time to act as casual as possible, so as to not make Angeal suspicious or even possibly jolting Genesis out of his spellbound state. With an Esper, it was far more tenuous.

"Ah, Cissnei and Ganso!"

The two quickly turned around to see Angeal and Genesis walking behind them. They came to their side, and the four began walking together. Angeal had a brow raised. "...We were just going to our quarters to rest," he said with a hesitant drawl.

"Mhm." Genesis pointed up ahead as they continued on their way. Cissnei and Ganso both on edge as the inevitable ambush and arrest came closer. No matter that it seemed an impossible situation, Uzal was the one to call these two out. It only made one wonder how many in the church were suspect.

The group approached, and Genesis put a hand on the doorknob. He looked at the two younger Espers with a dazed smile on his face. "Would you two like to come in and chat? We still have a ways til Junon."

Angeal frowned at his partner, accentuating his already stern face. "Genesis, I would really rather just take a nap—"   
  
Genesis put two fingers over his lips. "Oh, come now. A small conversation before you get your beauty sleep might soothe your mind."

"Fine," the Esper relented. "Only for a little while."

"You're always cranky when you don't get enough sleep," the red-head chided as he opened the door for everyone.

Angeal huffed with restrained amusement. "As if you have any room to talk."

“Well, perhaps Cissnei can sing you a lullaby.”

They entered the room, and Angeal turned on the light switch. It was just as simple as their own, but with a single bed and no windows. Two backpacks sat by the bed, and a chair and table sat by the opposite wall. The walls were a light gray and the floor the same linoleum Cissnei and Ganso were used to; it was rather drab to look at.

"So, Genesis, what did you want to talk to them about?" Angeal had his hands on his hips with a resigned expression on his face.

It was like they had nothing to do with the heavy crimes levied against them. Cissnei wasn't sure if it irritated her or made her feel more uneasy. If they were innocent, the church would find out. The high priest of Alexander and the judges of the church would know in short order. A small, strained sigh passed her lips as she looked at Ganso and nodded.

Genesis scratched his forehead with a finger as he winced his eyes shut. "...Talk? What are we doing down here?"

"...You wanted to come down here." Angeal almost immediately glared at Cissnei and then her relic as she locked the door behind her. "What is this?"

"You two are under arrest for treason," Ganso said as his ruby orb glowed. "The church is aware of your actions in Nibelheim."

The two accused stood in momentary shock, then Genesis waved his hand sharply in front of him. "Treason?! We have done nothing of the sort!"

"We had nothing to do with Nibelheim's fate!" Angeal argued. 

It fell on deaf ears. "That isn't for us to decide," Cissnei responded sharply. "Metropolitian Uzal will see to your fair trial...And we will see you to Alexander's temple."

She sent out two charm spells, hitting the Espers at full force now that their relics' powers were sealed away; they were just like any other human without them. Enthralled to her, they placidly put their hands behind their backs, allowing both Ganso and Cissnei to restrain them physically. For good measure they confiscated their relics, reverently placing them in Ganso's side pouch.

Cissnei allowed them to sit on the floor, then silenced them. They shouldn't be allowed to scheme together. She pursed her lips and sighed through her nose as she looked towards the door. "Their friend is still out there," she said warily to her friend.

Ganso tensely nodded. Princess Yuffie was in hot water, if that Esper was working for Sephiroth. "Metropolitian Uzal will need to alert Wutai."

"Yeah. I think they wouldn't kill her...right away. There's a chance she could escape, too." Cissnei ran her fingers through her wavy hair, all the while chewing on her lower lip. There was nothing they could have done to stop Yuffie, but guilt nagged at her just the same. Yuffie, like all Creation, was running out of time, and there was nothing she nor Ganso could do about it.


	15. Framed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're back to the main group! Hey, we gotta check on Genesis and Angeal once in a while, don't we? Thanks for sticking with me! Also, a big thanks to Marle_Nadia for her beta!

Twilight was beginning to fall on the country of Wutai as a small boat made its way towards the shore of a pebble beach, leaving the shadow of an anchored, abandoned cruise ship behind. Three figures sat in the boat, and one floated by its side, trying to keep up. A lone figure watched from the beach, acting as a scout.

"Gawd, did I tell ya how gross zombies are yet? Because uuuuugh that was the worst!" Yuffie had continued on with her unabashed disgust with the zombie crew that took them the rest of the way to Wutai.

Aerith rolled her eyes. "Yes, about a dozen times already." She looked at Tifa, who was focusing more on keeping herself floating by the boat's side than their conversation. "Hey, Tifa?"

The ghost turned to look her way, and raised her brows.  _ "Hm?" _

"I was meaning to ask earlier, but..." She pointed at Yuffie, and a playful smile grew on her face. "Zack said she said Cloud was...romancing you on the beach."

Zack grinned as he kept the boat's motor steady. "Yeah, so...what'd you two do?"

Tifa's eyes widened, and she began to slow down. Tsking, she went back to focusing on keeping up for a short while before answering, a muted reddish hue glowing on her translucent cheeks.  _ "H-he was just showing me how to use my relic!" _

"Really? Are you sure that's it?" Aerith pressed. 

The ghost looked towards the shore, spying Cloud standing there, waiting for them. He had been so distant from them since last night, avoiding their company except to say that they had reached Wutai. Terra, she realized, had disturbed him greatly.

She was just beginning to put the recent past behind her, especially after their encounter in the engine room. Why they were prying to see if she was developing feelings for someone she was just beginning to know, she couldn't understand _. "Yeah. We...talked a bit, too. But there wasn't any funny business." _

Zack's grin hadn't let up, and Aerith still smiled; how these two could be concerned about this after what had happened recently boggled Tifa's mind. Was this a fun diversion to them? Aerith playfully leaned forward in her seat. "It's okay if you did, you know. You can't help how you feel about someone, even if they're a deity."

"Yeah. Maybe you'll warm his gloomy heart," Zack chimed.

Yuffie pretended to gag. "Gawd, what is wrong with you people?!"

Tifa put her hands on her head, hiding the mortified expression on her face. She shook her head _. "I don't wanna think about this, especially after last night!" _

"Last night was a real eye opener." Zack corrected their course as he spoke. He felt the bottom of the boat scrape against submerged shore.

Aerith rubbed the hem of her light green dress and looked at the shore as they came ever closer. "He chose us over a reunion with someone he never thought he'd see again...Makes you think."

Indeed it did, Tifa thought. Instead of taking Sephiroth's offer, he chose to continue the path he was on. He chose to side with mortals he barely knew—or perhaps he knew her better than she knew him. The illness she suffered as a girl would have blurred her memories, and his hands-off approach towards her as she grew up did her no favors.

Maybe she needed another chat with him. 

"—That one zombie touched me! I can still smell that dude, and it's been hours!" Yuffie groused as the boat came to a stop on the shore.

"Maybe if you hadn't called him a walking bag of fish food, he wouldn't have jabbed your shoulder," Aerith countered as she gingerly left the boat. "Zombies have feelings, too."

"I dunno, the one's Cloud sent after us in Nibelheim didn't have feelings," Zack mused. "Those guys on the ship were a bit more animated."  _ In more ways than one. _

Yuffie let out a loud, dismissive huff. "Whatever! He started it!" She walked up to the rest of the group as they began making their way off the beach, pebbles crunching and slipping beneath their feet. The youthful Esper side-eyed Cloud, who took notice and raised a brow as he turned to look at her. "So like, what's your plan to get to the capital now?"

Slowly, he shrugged. "There should be a village close by. We can rent a vehicle there."

"A vehicle? Here? You must not get out of...wherever you usually sulk."

Cloud narrowed his eyes. "Y'know, you're pretty bold for a mortal. But I'm not impressed, and I'm not in the mood."

A smug smile crossed her face. "But you need me, so get used to it! Anyway," she began before the deity grew too irritated, "most of the villages in Wutai are super backwater. Like, they might have a single truck for everyone. But they do have chocobos. So, I can just use my princess status, and we'll be in the capital in no time!"

The god shook his head and looked forward again. "I'll pay them for their troubles."

"Y'suuuure?"

" _ Yes. _ "

"Fine, fine, do what ya want." Yuffie crossed her arms over her chest and looked away, towards a copse of tall trees situated on top of a small cliff that was visible from the path they took away from the beach. "I guess I'll save my graces for when you need the spear piece," she said dismissively.

Tifa turned to her and blinked a few times, the Esper returned to life as soon as they had landed on the beach. "Really?" she asked optimistically.

“Yeah, I figure since I’m not zombie chow you guys were bein’ honest with me.” She hadn't said anything on the boat about it, more content to complain about the zombies. Yuffie looked back at Tifa. "You guys still owe me for putting me to sleep and stuffing me in a chest, though! I haven't forgotten!"

"Sorry," Aerith replied, though her voice sounded more amused than apologetic. 

"It's been a stressful week on everyone." Zack looked up at the darkening sky, a few twinkling stars beginning to come to visibility. "But we finally know we made the right choice," he said quietly.

Tifa nodded as she eyed Cloud. "Yeah."

Cloud briefly glanced at whomever he could in his group, then stared straight ahead. They weren't just taking Aerith's word on it, they trusted him now. After that horrible night, they trusted his intentions, and despite himself, a small smile began to form on his face. It was okay, since they couldn't see it.

"Told you," Aerith teased the other three. "I—Cloud, what's wrong?"

His head was down, with his hand over his forehead. It wasn't painful, but it was noisy, like a thousand souls crying out before being extinguished in an instant. "He's doing it again—" Cloud stopped walking as a sensation crept along his spine, dark and evil and replacing the souls that disappeared.    
  
He slowly dropped his hand from his head. "There's a village not too far from here."

Tifa came a little closer, a weight growing in her gut as the silence ate at them all. She couldn't stand it, so she spoke. "What happened?"

Cloud shook his head, then looked at her while trying to keep his disgust in check. "Sephiroth. I-I think he did something to the village..." Why was he afraid to say it out loud? He sucked in a wary breath. "There's a mass of undead there now. I can feel them."

Her eyes widened as much as her compatriots'. "You couldn't stop it?"

"Unfortunately, no. I bet Sephiroth is doing this in spite of Creation." Or he was sure it was Sephiroth. No one else could prevent him from feeling mass death a few days out. But Sephiroth had done so already, and this would mark the second time. 

Yuffie shook her fists at him in an agitated way. "We gotta see if there's any survivors!"   
  
"It could be a trap."    
  
Zack wasn't incorrect in the slightest for his thoughts, but Cloud thought it less a trap and more a diversion. But a diversion for what? "Even if it is, we have to check. If anybody comes across the village, it could be a problem."

"Yeah, Spooks has the right idea here!" Yuffie charged ahead without knowing where she was headed.

Cloud tsked at her before grabbing her arm. "It's  _ this _ way, princess."

They took off towards the village, anxious of what awaited them. There was a sense of helplessness shared quietly between them all; how could they fight against a god that corrupted the very essence of existence into something vile and inimical to the world that originally birthed it? Still they would try, ignorant of Sephiroth's intentions towards them. 

It seemed almost petty.

The sky grew darker as they continued on, finding an old road that went through a small woods. The path was shrouded by leaf shedding trees, and the rustle of the wind made it difficult to make out any sounds made by a stranger's feet. Beyond it lay the village, and whatever crept within.

Tifa walked to the front of the group, and looked at Cloud and Zack. "I was practicing on the boat, you know."

Zack raised a brow. "Practicin' what?"

She brought her arms up and she looked forward. Her focus went towards her relic, and after a few moments a dozen will o' wisps sprouted out of the air in front of them. They were hues of eerie blue and purple, red and green. The little orbs of light weren't particularly bright, but they aided the group's eyesight. Nothing was lurking at the edges of the road.

Cloud nodded in approval at Tifa as she put her hands down. "Nice work."

Tifa smiled back at him. "Thank you!" She was determined to master this magic gifted to her, especially after Cloud had told her what he had done as an Esper of Death. She would use her power to help people, just as he did. It was a different purpose than what she had done before, but there was more meaning to it than serving meals and drinks at a bar for the rest of her days. 

"Hey, you don't smell anything out of place, do you, Zack?" Aerith inquired from behind the tall Esper.

He turned his head abruptly and raised his brows. "Ah, no, not yet. Breeze ain't helpin', either."

"D'ya think it'd help if you turned into a dog?" Yuffie asked dryly.

Zack gave her a withering look. "I'd rather stay on my toes right now."

"Let's keep going," Cloud said before walking into the woods.

The will o' wisps followed them before fading one by one as they exited the woods, the light of the waning gibbous moon and the stars lighting the rest of the way to the village. A short wall encircled it, keeping it safe from the aggressive creatures that roamed to countryside on occasion. The gate was partially open, the joints groaning as a strong breeze pushed against it.

Hesitantly they came closer to the gate, their ears perked for any sound of the living or the dead. Cloud could feel the undead beyond the wall, and even Tifa began to feel it. As they entered the village they noticed it was dead silent but for the sound of the water mill, distant windchimes and a single sozu clapping by an unseen garden.

"Well," Zack began quietly, "I sure can smell them now."

Aerith took out her piece of the spear. "Great to hear."

Walking through and eyeing every cast shadow in the darkness, Cloud looked down and tried to bring his influence to bear over some of the unseen creatures. Try as he might, he couldn't control them. He grunted in frustration. "I can't control them."

Yuffie gave him a sidelong glance. "What kinda death god can't control a few spooks?!"

He shook his head helplessly. "They're not normal undead."

"What does that even mean?!"

His annoyance was plastered all over his face. "They're fancy demons, okay?!"

A gurgling growl that ended in a hiss came from behind a small white plaster house, and everyone turned towards the sound. They tensed as a humanoid creature stumbled out and into the moonlight, pale as paper with sickly yellow-green eyes that very dimly glowed under black bangs. The fingers had been rendered into sharp claws, and fangs glimmered from its mouth. It looked emaciated, hungry.

It had clearly been a young Wutaian man not long ago. There was signs of trauma on its body, though nothing as horrifying as what had been left on the ship. More began to shuffle out of the darkness all around them, moaning out their hunger. Yuffie hesitated; these had been her subjects, warped and desecrated by a mad god.

Zack put a hand on her shoulder and she looked back. He had his greatsword over his shoulder and a serious expression on his face. "If it's too much, we understand. Keep Aerith safe, alright? She doesn't fight as well as the rest of us."

Aerith glared at him. "I can fight!"

He looked back and nodded. "Well, you can, just differently! We'll keep you safe while you do your thing, okay?"

Eyes still hardened, she nodded, understanding his position on the matter. "I'll hold you to it."

The first of the monsters lunged at Tifa at that moment, and her fists connected with the side of its face and neck. Then, she twirled it around and shoved it into a group of undead before focusing on one of the materia Aerith had taken from Cloud's castle. Hands outstretched, a bought of flame erupted from her palms and rushed through the feral pack, setting them alight.

They continued their march towards the only living beings in town, ravenous for warm blood and flesh. Tifa gave the fire spell another try, the undead glowing hotter and releasing noxious fumes that for the moment blew away from them. Still, she had gotten a whiff—it was enough to make her quietly gag. But they were no longer a threat to them anymore; they were making progress.

"Well, they're going down a lot easier than I thought they would," Cloud mused as he tore through a group with his swords as they came too close. He made a face as he noticed the darkness that spilled out from their bodies, contaminating the air and ground. "Not out of the woods yet!"

Aerith peeked her eyes open to see what he was talking about, and she saw the demonic energy that clung to the air. She aimed the spear at it, and it soon dissipated into nothingness. It was becoming easier to use the spear piece, she noticed. "Get another group down!"

"You got it!" Zack ripped through several that were flanking them, and Tifa went to batter another monster senseless. It clawed at her, but she continued on, putting all of her frustrations into her punches and kicks. Another charged her, and she dodged out of its way, tripping it as she fell to her knee and stretched out her other leg. 

She missed the other one, and Tifa looked up just in time to see its grasping claws coming towards her face. She didn't have enough time to react, and she cursed herself for not noticing sooner. Cloud yelling her name helplessly didn't help her; she felt perhaps that she was now going to be his burden.

That was, until Yuffie's giant shuriken plowed through the creature's head.

"Yuffie!"

The teen Esper put her foot on the corpse as it twitched and took her weapon out of its head. "You should get away from it before that black crap comes out of it!" 

Tifa could see the conflict on Yuffie's face, even as she tried to keep on a veneer of arrogant aloofness. "Thank you."

She waved her hand flippantly. "Yeah, yeah! One more thing you owe me for!"

Tifa smiled faintly, then quickly stood back up to fight again. She looked back at Cloud, who was watching her back. She nodded reassuringly at him, but he looked less convinced than she would have hoped. Again she turned to face down another monster, but suddenly felt helpless as she saw ever more to replace those they destroyed. Would it ever end?

They were surrounded.

A swath of light came from behind a mass of the creatures, completely obliterating them. The group turned in surprise. Zack's indigo eyes widened. "Espers!"

"Damn," Cloud muttered. How did they know what had happened? Had they just been in the area? "Zack, come here!"

"What's up?" Zack backed himself towards the god, keeping the area in front of him safe. 

"We're gonna have to split up." Cloud eyed the group as they came closer. There were two, which meant there was a third one lurking around somewhere. He couldn't feel them, so he assumed they were further out. "Tifa and me can travel to the capital together. You guys get there and try to secure the bottom piece, okay?"

"Are you sure?"

"As if they wouldn't kill Tifa given half the chance."

"...Right." Zack processed the plan in his head, then slowly nodded. "We'll meet again soon."

"Yeah. But for now, you're gonna have to attack me."

The Esper of Fenrir let out a huff. "Hope it looks convincing!"

A wry smile grew on Cloud’s lips. "Wail on me."

The Espers were only a thin wall of monsters away now. Quickly, Cloud phased into that terrible reaper that one would never associate with him at first glance. He stared the Espers' way, then pointed at them as he quickly came up with some story to keep the other three from being suspect.  _ "Have you come here to be my new hostages?" _

One of them looked up, his eyes hidden by a metal visor on his helmet. "Huh, hostages?"

Zack swung at the reaper. "Less talk, more fighting!"

"Yeah!" Yuffie swung her shuriken at Cloud’s arm as he brought it up in mock surprise. "Try’n get me now!"

"Oh, um..." Tifa tsked at herself. She felt a little hopeless at the moment. How to play a villain? It seemed so easy when she wasn't even trying to be one in Nibelheim. "Y-You've defied Lord Sephiroth for the last time!"

"That's it," Aerith whispered under her breath. "You should have never left the spear piece with me!" She aimed it at Tifa after releasing its power into a group of undead that hadn't been destroyed yet. "Say your prayers, necromancer!"

Cloud came close to Tifa and raised up his robe, showing complete darkness underneath. His voice whispered into her ear as he began their escape plan, making her quietly gasp as it rumbled gently.  _ "Turn into a ghost, and follow me." _

So she did. A moment later, as the strange Espers prepared to attack with holy power, Cloud let loose a multitude of will o' wisps in front of them, obscuring their forms as they made their escape beyond the town. Zack relaxed his sword arm as the glowing lights floated about them like bright festival balloons.   
  


As the will o’ wisps faded, Zack looked towards the sound of heavy footsteps; the Espers that had helped them defeat the small horde were warily approaching while destroying an undead stickler here and there. He swallowed hard. He hoped that their small act was enough to convince these two of their innocence.


	16. Anxious Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big thanks again to Marle_Nadia for her beta! We're almost at the trial and the second piece of the spear...will fate go easy on the groups, or beat the hell out of them?

"Damn those both to the foulest pits of the Abyss!" One of the Espers came up to them, his posture displaying the distrust he still had towards the remaining three. They were both tall and had steel armor on their shoulders, wrists and heads, covering half of their face. This one studied Zack, and he cocked his head. "You gotta lot of explainin' to do, Zack."

Zack rubbed the back of his head as his greatsword disappeared. "Man, I didn't think I'd ever see you again, Kunsel!"

"Hm, you know him?" Aerith looked between them.

"That he does," Kunsel replied curtly. "We were told you went traitor, man."

Zack vehemently shook his head. "What? No way!" He thumped his chest near his relic. "Fenrir only chooses the most honorable!"

"So does Alexander," replied the other Esper cryptically.

Kunsel put up a hand. "Easy, Luxiere."

"It's Sephiroth!" Yuffie decided it was best to go for a dramatic flair. "He was gonna use me to bribe my pops, and take Wutai's piece of the Spear of Creation!"

Aerith nodded enthusiastically. "She got a little mouthy with him earlier, and he had his undead fight us as punishment. If you hadn't come by, we would probably be battered beyond recognition. And there'd be an undead army headed for the capital!"

"Well, what did he need Zack for?" Luxiere demanded. "You had to have been in Nibelheim!"

"...I was," Zack admitted quietly. "He kept me around 'cause, uhhh..."

Yuffie pounced. "Gawd, stop acting so ashamed!" She jabbed her thumb in his direction. "That necromancer had the hots for him."

"A necromancer had a crush on you? Man, you always get the crazy ones." There was an amused smile growing on Kunsel's lips. He seemed to be forgetting any questions he should be asking of the flimsy explanations. "I'm relieved that the metroplitian had heard wrong about you, Zack. Especially after what happened with Genesis and Angeal."

Zack stared at him, the relieved grin that had formed fading from his face. "What happened to them?" he asked flatly.

"They were working for Abyssion and Sephiroth, I thought you knew?" Kunsel crossed his arms.

The ebon-haired Esper shook his head. "No, I mean what happened to them?" he asked while sidestepping Kunsel's question.

"Oh! They were arrested for treason, and they should be going to trial in a few hours." He relaxed some more, then sighed. "Thank Fenrir we got here when we did."

"Yeah, so like, can you get us to the capital?" Yuffie shook her fists impatiently. "We need to protect both pieces of the spear!"

"Both?" She swore there was a brow raised under the viser.

Aerith waved the inert-looking piece of wood in front of her. "C-Sephiroth wanted to make it whole again, using me for it. I tried to use its powers against him, but it just wouldn't work..."

"...I see." Kunsel seemed unsure, but who could blame him?

"So how did you know we were here?" Yuffie asked as Kunsel ushered them the way he had come, revealing another gate. There was a military truck beyond it.

"When we heard that Zack was headed towards Wutai, the church mobilized to watch the ports. Luxiere, Lazard and me were sent to the port south of here to watch." He opened the gate fully, then waved at a man with long blond hair that watched the group with a piercing gaze. "We all kinda got a really bad feeling, you know? Kinda hard to describe. Anyway, we get to this village, and everyone is...Well, I guess you got a front row seat to that."

"Yeah." Zack was staring ahead.

"Hey, I know this has probably been a hard couple of days on you, man. Just try to relax while we get through with this dirty business, and we'll be off to the capital in no time." Kunsel put a hand on Zack's shoulder.

Zack looked at his friend, then nodded if just to placate him. "Thanks."

Yuffie scrambled into the vehicle, followed by Aerith. The priestess held out her hand to Zack, the liveliness drained out of him. "Zack?"

"...Comin'." He took her hand and helped himself inside, sheltered from the outside world again. He sat by himself on a lonesome crate and looked out the entrance, the mountains and plains of Wutai a peaceful if weak balm on his heart. Out in the distance, he swore he could see two figures floating off towards the north. He took in a deep breath before whispering towards the distant beings.

"Good luck."

Soon enough Kunsel and Luxiere scrambled inside, though it felt like hours to Zack as he stared ahead with an anxious heart. "We better get outta here before Sephiroth shows up again," Luxiere commented. "Lazard's already reported the incident, and a group is coming to help clean up."

What was Sephiroth doing?

Couldn't he just destroy what he wished? Twist what he felt like twisting? Were there limits to his powers? The other three gods. Did they have something to do with Sephiroth's powers? It was all way over his head. He was less a thinker and more a fighter, but this duty he had to Creation was making him think a whole lot.

"It's gonna be a long ride back."

"Sounds Boooooring."

"Well," Kunsel began, "we got a pack of cards."

"I'll deal!"

The truck rumbled to life and made a sharp turn onto a road, then sped off into the night. Zack watched as the dead town slowly disappeared, abandoned to scavengers with just a handful of lights still glowing in the windows. It was another tragedy that they couldn't prevent. Would Junon be just the same?

Angeal and Genesis...

Happier times. Meeting them for the first time in Midgar and trailing them like an excited puppy on his first duties as an Esper. Learning about the wide world beyond Bone Village, Angeal and Genesis acting as surrogate parents that taught through words and show. Genesis was almost never without his psalm book—though he had already memorized every one of them—and Angeal, he kept on about how important it was to follow the church teachings, whether about evil and its whereabouts in the world, or vigilance in upholding his deity's central pillars, even if they might gently clash with another fellow Esper's.

How could it be that the church would grow so suspicious of them? They had a reputation, a good one, and they had a known count of cultists and necromancers that they had brought to justice—one way or another. He had seen it himself, and so had others paired with them before he had the privilege. To outright call the couple traitors, despite the circumstances, baffled him.

Sure, maybe the circumstances were suspicious, he could understand that. They were alive because of Cloud and his reach of a plan, but Zack wondered if they all might be condemned by the gods before they all died. A black tarnish on his honor before everything died; he swore to uphold Fenrir's virtues, of honor, strength, and loyalty, and he had not broken it. But, to someone less privy, he was nothing but an agent of Abyssion.

Which, and it was hitting harder now, Genesis and Angeal were being accused of. It had been a risk, but it just felt unreal. Would the trial be fair? Zack shook his head. He was doubting the church's magnanimity after less than a week! Of course they would be fair with them. It was the church.

Just like the gods had been fair to Cloud?

He bit his lip and chewed on it, a melancholy mood falling over him even as he heard the familiar voices behind him talk while enjoying a game of cards. If only such a diversion would work on him right now! Zack's mind would not stop making him suffer. His small family was innocent of any wrongdoing, but he was helpless to prove it. Could Cloud help, or would he make things worse? What would Angeal and Genesis say during their trial?

Zack rubbed his face warily, and rested his eyes on his palms as his elbows propped up his hands. Focus. Focus on what they were there for. Focus on the spear, and keeping Aerith safe, and not raising any red flags. Just focus...on anything, but them.

* * *

"So," Luxiere asked after discarding two cards, "what should happen to the spear piece you have, priestess?"

"Hm?" Aerith's attention went from Zack's back to the Esper who just addressed her. She sat by the wall of the truck, near the three huddled on the floor with a lamp and cards. "...Oh. Well, the royal family can watch over them both, I think."

Yuffie chuckled evilly to herself. "Yeah, I mean if Spooks could get it he wouldn't need me, right? So it'd be safe in Wutai!"

"I have to agree," Kunsel replied. "Hopefully, we can make it to the capital safe and sound."

"It just seems strange, a god fleeing from a few measly Espers." Luxiere huffed at the cards in his hand. "What happened to the boat you guys were on?"

"Isn't it obvious? Sephiroth killed everyone." Yuffie showed her hand. "Three aces!"

The other two plopped their cards down in defeat. The cards were reshuffled and dealt, and they continued on.

"But why not kill us?" Luxiere sharply pulled on a card and discarded it in the pile. "Don't tell me he's all tuckered out."

"Are you insinuating that they're working for Sephiroth, after he attacked them?" Kunsel had his head tilted to the side.

"I didn't say they were, it's just not adding up," was the retort. "They still have their relics on them. If I were Sephiroth, that would be the first thing I'd remove."

Aerith knew Luxiere was still suspicious of them, and so was Lazard if his accusing gaze was anything to go by. She pointed at his relic. "You can force the truth out of someone with that, right? So why not do that?"

He pursed his lips and inhaled through his nose. "I've strongly considered it."

"Then do it. Ask us if we're working for Sephiroth or Abyssion." The perfect trick.

Luxiere fingered his relic of Alexander's as they hit a bump in the road. He didn't speak right away. "...After the game," he mumbled. "I can give the benefit of the doubt with the princess on board."

"Less chatting, more losing," Yuffie said flippantly.

That was good enough for Aerith. Content the Esper wasn't high strung enough to cause a bigger fuss in the truck, she went back to watching the lone figure in the back of the truck—Zack.

He had been staring off into the nighttime scenery available through the back, the canopy of the truck leaving a tacky plastic window to cover the opening. He was slouched on a crate, seemingly oblivious to the banter behind him.

Her eyes glanced at the poker game one last time, then she carefully stood up to walk to the lone Esper. She took her time in case any other sharp bumps would make her lose her footing, and she was soon sitting on a crate next to him. He didn't seem to notice her, or he did, but still said nothing.

"Zack?"

He didn't respond right away, but when he did, he slowly turned his head up to look at her. There was a weak, unconvincing smile on his face. "Hey, Aerith. Don't mind me, I'm just thinkin'."

"...I noticed." She studied his face, the strain apparent in his eyes and lips. He looked like a beat puppy that was trying to stay upbeat. Did he not want to talk about it? "Well, how about we join the others in a card game? I'm sure that'll take your mind off things."

He looked down towards his boots again, then shook his head. "...I'd rather not."

A soft hum escaped her throat as she scooted closer to him. So, a diversion wouldn't work. But maybe this would.

Aerith brought her left arm up to rest over his pauldrons, and her right hand to rest on his as it held to his knee. A pang of various emotions echoed through her: despair, worry, alarm. His heart was full of pain. She squeezed his ungloved hand, letting him know that she was there for him, and she brought him closer to her.

Zack, a man she had known for a week, wasn't a quiet person. He was always full of energy, optimistic, friendly. The first time she met him, he immediately began to flirt with her—in her church! So unconcerned by her funny little power, and always brightening when he saw her on the ship.

Even as zombies shuffled about in an effort to keep up the ship's speed, even as Cloud brooded unseen and Tifa attempted to reign in Yuffie, Zack always seemed to be nearby. And they talked for hours, leaving behind a dreary reality as they walked about. About their childhoods, about the church, about their new friends.

He told her how he thought motorcycles were the absolute best, and she told him how much she loved flowers. Zack had a thing for warm cinnamon buns, and coincidentally so did she. There had been some premade ones in the kitchen, so they tried their luck at baking them. It was only when Tifa had appeared, wondering about a burning smell, that they had someone who knew you weren't supposed to put the oven as high as it would go—they wouldn't cook faster.

Oh, they had gotten a good laugh out of that.

She held him closer. It was so silly, this closeness that came out of nowhere. Or maybe that wasn't quite accurate; it had blossomed quickly. It had to, just like her friendship with Tifa, the fledgling Esper whose deity had shy affections for. Which she may have divulged to Zack...because why not? It was fun, and not something ado about saving the world while also worrying about failure in the face of a god more powerful than the one they befriended.

It was then that she noticed wetness atop her breast, the white fabric of her dress moist. She frowned until she heard a very quiet sniffle. Zack was breaking down. She hadn't known how much of a toll things had taken on his soul until now, nor that news of his mentors would be the final straw.

Zack was quiet, the din of the poker game louder than his occasional sniffle. He would shudder and her hand would travel to his back, or squeeze his bicep, all the while her dress dampened more. After a little while she felt his psyche calm, the emotional dam released and the flood subsided.

"Oh...uh, sorry," he mumbled as he moved his head away. Aerith's hands lingered on him, appreciating how he felt...steady, now. He seemingly had the same feelings towards her, because as her hands left him, Zack gently took them in his, and they rested in his lap. They radiated a pleasant heat.

She gave him a tranquil smile, and not just to comfort him. "It's alright. A lot of things happened."

Zack nodded quietly, his indigo eyes drifting to their hands. "Yeah...I'm just worried about them."

"Angeal and Genesis?"

"Yeah. They...they're practically family. You know? I mean, we've been a unit for two years now, and it's just not fair to them." For a short, fleeting moment, one of Zack's hands left Aerith's to swipe at the leftover tears. He rubbed the back of his hand against his dark blue jeans, then placed it back where it belonged. "I just—I hope they're treated fairly. The church would treat them alright..."

Doubt. Aerith slowly nodded her head, once. "Well...they haven't been unreasonable with us, so I bet they'll be treated fairly."

"You think so? I don't know what kinda trial they're looking at. It's...I don't think it's a common occurrence."

"It's not," she said calmly. "The last one I heard of was fifty years ago, when a priest and an Esper were found guilty of conspiracy. It went on for days, though you'd think with Alexander's Espers present it would take all of five minutes." She supposed that even those relics had their limits, or there was something she was missing in the big picture.

Zack raised his brows. "Days? The world has maybe a day before Yazoo gets out. How are they gonna convince them?"

"I don't know," Aerith replied weakly. "When Yazoo is freed, they..." _Would the church blame them for it?_

The Esper heaved a heavy sigh. "There has to be a way to clear their names. Maybe Cloud can think of something, I don't know...I...One day, you're camping under the stars together, and the next you're in a burning village, and everything you knew is turned upside down.

"I thought we were gonna bag a necromancer in Sephiroth's home territory. Then things began to get creepy, with Cloud runnin' around, and I knew we were in over our heads. But those two, they just said to stand fast against evil. And I knew that if we failed, we would go down fighting.

"But it was worse than a necromancer and a god stirring after centuries. It was an all out assault on existence, and we..." His voice became even more of a whisper than it already was. "We teamed up with Cloud. It still feels surreal. At least it does to me."

Aerith squeezed his hand. "It is. And I guess it makes you wonder what else the church is wrong about. What the gods might be wrong about..." She had grown up thinking the church a pillar of purity. But now she had time to wonder about how imperfect the movers and shakers were. "And I still wonder if we'll make it."

"I do, too. But, I wanna say that...I'm happy you're here with us."

The priestess' expression became gently teasing. "Do you mean, 'with you'?"

A genuine smile pulled at his lips, and he chuckled softly. "Yeah. You keep me from gettin' too mopey."

She smiled. "Well, that's good to hear." They sat there in silence for a bit, looking at each other's eyes, emerald and indigo locked on each other. She could feel him calming further, resolution planting itself in him again. It was like a pillar, tall and strong. Was that how she felt to him earlier? "We'll get through this, and we'll clear their names."

Zack firmly nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, they have a fighting chance!" He looked convinced, or at least hopeful, of the future. "We've gotten this far. I'm sure something can be done."

That's the spirit! Aerith let out a small lilt of a giggle at his proclamation. He was returning to his sunny self already, and that's what they would all need for the trials ahead. But more than that, just seeing that sparkle in his eyes tugged on her heart like nothing else could in these dire times.


	17. By Your Side

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thanks to MarleNadia for her beta and suggestions!

An eerie, terrifying sight to any who happened to be outside at these hours floated through the countryside in silence, bringing a gripping fear to any who looked out their windows to enjoy an autumn night scene. The ghost and the reaper travelled side by side over lonesome paths, skirting villages and farmsteads. A chilly wind breezed by them, but neither felt its bite.

It had been a quiet journey so far, both god and Esper brooding. Tifa was beginning to feel the first pangs of ostracization from society, though it baffled her that it took this long to finally hit her. She wondered if she and Cloud both would continue to be scorned even if they succeeded in saving the world from the clutches of destructive deities.

Her eyes traveled to the dark and gloomy god, who continued ahead as if he were alone. She needed someone to talk to, someone to get her mind off of darker things. _"Cloud?"_

His shrouded head turned to her. She wished she could see his face for some sort of emotional que. _"Hm?"_

She hesitated, because she realized she didn't know what to say. Maybe it was silly to think they could have a normal conversation. What mundane subject could she possibly bring up to Cloud while he's on a mission? _"Oh, well...um..."_ She looked down in embarrassment.

_"Tifa? What's wrong?"_

_"Nothing, I just...It's so quiet."_ She wrung her spectral hands. _"I'm fine."_

When Tifa looked back up again, he was still looking at her. It caused her cheeks to glow, that Cloud would still be interested in what she had to say. Not that he been hadn't before, but ever since Terra, he hadn't talked to her. Why did it bother her so?

_"...I guess I'm used to it."_ He turned away to face forward. _"To the silence, I mean."_

_To being alone,_ she realized. _"I'm not."_

_"I see. Well..."_ Cloud seemed a little lost when it came to making conversation. _"What do you wanna talk about?"_

_"Oh, um...I...still wanna know you better, so..."_

_"...Maybe something other than that,"_ he replied lowly.

But he was what she was interested in right now. Not Sephiroth and Abyssion, not the Spear of Creation. She just wanted to know more about the man she ate Sweet Toast with. Her brows went up when she thought about it. _"Do you like Sweet Toast, or did you eat it just to look normal?"_

A pregnant pause. _"I like it. It's a food that was invented in Nibelheim, you know."_

_"It was?"_

He nodded. _"During good harvest years, sometimes we made too much bread, and it would get a little stale. So we soaked it in milk and eggs and fried it. If there was fruit, we'd add that, too._

_"My mother used to make it when she had the supplies for it. Not every year but, I was fond of it."_ He grew quiet, a tension growing around him.

_"You used to eat it with Terra,"_ Tifa blurted out before covering her ghostly mouth with her hands _. "I-I'm sorry!"_

_"...Well,"_ he began with an edge to his voice, _"there wasn't a lot of sweets to eat, so yes, I did."_ Cloud let out a sigh that would raise the hackles of any mortal present. _"That was a very long time ago. It doesn't matter anymore."_

She pursed her lips as she went over what he had said, and the depressed tinge to his shadowy voice. _"I'm sorry to pry. I mean, it does sound like it still matters to you."_

Cloud shook his head as they continued along. Silence overcame the two but for the sound of an owl hooting in the distance and the shy rustling of small creatures in the underbrush. Tifa felt she may have gone too far, may have pushed him away. But all she really wanted to do was talk, and it ended in her being nosy. She quietly chastised herself for being insensitive.

_"It's something I have to deal with myself,"_ he said firmly.

Tifa frowned at him, and he turned again to look at her. _"You're not alone anymore. You have people you can lean on now."_

A snort, then he faced forward again. Monsters up ahead scattered as death personified floated their way. _"I'm a god. I don't have to lean on anyone."_

She couldn't help but roll her eyes at him. Her hand grasped the sleeve of his dark robe. _"But you needed our help, right?"_

_"That's different,"_ he pointed out dryly.

_"Well, you look like you need us for more than just a quest."_

Cloud scoffed, still not looking at her. Tifa's frown deepened at his dismissal, and a growing upset welled in her chest as the conversation ended again. _How could he be so callous? Hadn't he been promising Zack a race when this was all over? But Terra had been a distant memory then, and now, she had been pulled to the present so painfully..._

Would he push her away now, and just be a lofty, arrogant god, like the rest of them? Would he make her some distant Esper follower, just to spare himself some pain? What kind of person was he, that he thought he could just drag others into danger and then act like nothing happened afterwards? Why was she getting so upset?

He didn't speak again, and left her to sulk while floating by his side. Both were absorbed in their own thoughts, but instead of wanting to be near Cloud like she had been earlier, Tifa wanted some space to clear her mind. The loaded silence was irritating her, but she wasn't ready to explode quite yet. A small sigh escaped her ghostly lips.

She settled on observing the landscape. Maybe the monsters would flee from them, but if there were any more Espers about, they wouldn't shirk away from a fight, that she knew. Since he assumedly couldn't teleport them both to Wutai, they had to travel the countryside. Maybe just until they could find a town far away enough, where they could rent some chocobos if they didn't have a car.

After all, there was no way she could continue on like this all night...right? She was unsure if she would grow hungry, or tired or sleepy as a ghost. She wasn't about to ask Cloud right now, either. But the thought was more than a passing one, at least. Maybe she would be exhausted by the end of their journey to the capital, and then she would be of no use to anyone, when they needed her at her best.

That would be no good at all.

While the waning moon occasionally hid behind clouds painted pale blue by its silver light, it still gave plenty to see the countryside. It was similar to Nibelheim, a farming backwater full of rolling hills and woods that spotted the land. The only difference was that Nibelheim had developed and began to grow with the rest of the world, while this place seemed content to trundle on with old traditions.

Well, at least it still existed...

And she had nothing but a magical necklace and an aloof, reticent god for a 'keeper'. One that couldn't even speak to her about hurtful things in his life, when he knew intimate events in hers, like how she became his Esper in the first place. It wasn't fair that he would shut her out like that.

She continued to quietly smolder, but soon a town came into view. It was larger than the little village that had been slaughtered and raised as undead fodder, but still a bit smaller than Nibelheim. They hid in the darkness of a copse of trees as they spied guards at the gate, possibly wary of any evil if any news from the south had reached them.

_"We should go through the far wall."_

Tifa looked up at him. _"We're going in?"_

He nodded. _"A car or a bike would be a lot faster."_

She felt, at that moment, that perhaps she was slowing him down. _Why am I kicking myself so much right now?_ Was it because she felt like the odd man out?

_"Follow me."_

They went through a path that was shaded by near bare trees, then through some tall grass while skirting the guard's sight. Cloud slid through the wall, leaving Tifa by herself. It was only for a few seconds, because then she felt his firm, human hand on hers, tugging her through. After blinking a few times she changed back, then enjoyed a few breaths of fresh air.

He was walking away already, and she stiffened. If this was how he was going to act..."I need a moment."

Cloud looked back at her, his blue eyes wondering what she meant. "A moment?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I just need to freshen up."

"...They might think we're kinda suspicious."

An irritated sigh passed her lips. "I just want to clean my face, okay? I can still feel those zombies on my skin."

He let out a defeated huff, then reluctantly nodded. "Fine. I'm gonna see if there's a place to rent something out. That's still open, that is." After a few seconds of lingering, he walked off.

Tifa watched him go, then kicked a stray pebble that was near her foot. She just needed some space, as selfish as that sounded, and it was, but if she had to think straight later, she needed to imbibe now. She sulked off towards a small gas station, that seemed to have a small car rental company next to it. _That was fine,_ she thought. As long as she got a few minutes of peace.

_Why on Minerva's green earth did Tifa need to freshen up?_ The question hung in his mind; this was not a safe place for leisurely business. Cloud wanted them in and out of the town and on the road as soon as possible. The longer they stayed, the more questions would be asked, and then they would have to escape.

He would rather ruminate on more important matters, like Sephiroth. Cloud was worried his former master had untold power at his fingertips, but he knew if Sephiroth had that much power at his disposal, the world would have been done for as soon as he reawakened. No, it was limited, but he did not know by how much or for how long.

The thought made him wish to seek out Tifa.

If she was alone, wouldn't she be fodder for Sephiroth if he was in the area? She was very close by, but it wasn't enough for him. He looked down at the papers set before him and began quickly signing his name for the car he would rent. There was only three available and they were there for tourists who wanted to see the countryside of Wutai and townsfolk in need of quick transport. Maybe Tifa could get a few hours of sleep while he drove, or so he hoped.

Cloud pursed his lips as his mind floated off again. _Friends?_ He wanted friends. But he shouldn't have any. It was too painful, he was sure to fail them, and they were mortal. Tifa was his, of course, but the Espers belonged to their respective gods, and Aerith...Well, no one was quite sure of her fate at death.

Tifa probably didn't understand, that was all...

_Well, you look like you need us for more than just a quest._ But he wouldn't do that to them. Why wouldn't she understand? He wasn't able to protect his friends or his love five hundred years ago, and that was that. They saw Terra, Tifa saw Terra. Why did she want to know about Terra, when she was gone?

_I mean, it does sound like it still matters to you._ Tifa mattered more at this moment. Tifa was alive. Tifa wasn't warped into something opposing creation. She was a warm, strong woman he watched from a distance as she grew up, and as she reached adulthood he observed her more. What he saw wasn't just someone that would make a noble Esper, but someone he wanted to be around constantly.

He resisted it until recently, when necessity forced his hand, and now he felt himself grow close to her, and a pain grew in his heart as he thought about how he, a god, could fail her, a mortal. But...it didn't matter how much it hurt. Just like that day, he would have to weather it again if it came to that. He had to be stalwart against his feelings, especially after so many centuries of trying to ignore deep, human interaction.

"Hey, you gonna finish that? I gotta close for the night!"

Cloud's eyes widened, and he began signing again. "Sorry."

He soon finished, and was given keys to a car that was in the garage connected to the small kiosk. Cloud walked over to the still open doors, and eyed an old model car that was painted white of all colors. He doubted it had a heater, so he wondered if there was a place to get a blanket for Tifa. Maybe no, considering how small the town was.

_Flash!_

_"Cloud...you always beat yourself up over every little thing."_

_Where was he? He looked around to see nothing but white. The ground was littered with multi-hued, vibrant down feathers. There was a warm body leaning on his back, just so. "...Terra?"_

_"Mhm. Come on, you should look forward to having new friends!" The smile in her voice was apparent._

_He turned his head a little, just enough to see part of a messy blonde ponytail. "What's even the point for me to do that?"_

_A beautiful blue eye watched him back. "To live, of course. You mean as much to your new friends as they do to you, right? So let them in. And...let that girl in."_

_"Terra..." It hurt to say her name._

_"It's okay. Maybe things didn't work the way they should have, but, we had a wonderful time." A satisfied hum came from the specter. "'l'll love you, even if I won't be me any more."_

_He looked away and grimaced. "This is your goodbye."_

_"It is." Terra's arms slipped around his waist, and squeezed. "I'm free from Sephiroth, because of you and your friends. Thank you, Cloud." A long, breathless pause. "Don't stop being the man I fell in love with, Cloud...Until we meet again."_

_There was a peck on his cheek, and then the vision faded._

"I heard about you! You're one of those evil ones that caused a stir in that village!"

"Murderous filth!"

Cloud blinked, then looked towards the voices. Tifa was running out of the gas station, then turned around to get into a defensive stance. There were a few men gathering around her, and a woman.

"They said Hoshimura was slaughtered by necromancers!"

The four shuddered and stepped far back as Tifa gave them a magical glare, but others nearby had heard the commotion. They threw stones at her, and Cloud knew her kindly soul well enough that she predictably ran off towards a dark alley. He teleported behind her as she entered the darkness.

Instinct caused him to reach out for her shoulder, and his mind decided that was a mistake as his fingers pressed on the jacket she wore. Her instincts, on the other hand, caused her to twist about and slam her fist into his jaw, making him grunt from the force. Tifa's ruby eyes widened in surprise and shock, and her pale cheeks burned a deep pink. "Cloud!"

"I hope this won't become a habit," he remarked wryly. It wasn't painful since he was a god, but he would have prefered a better greeting.

"Oh, sorry...I..." She closed her mouth, a look of frustration settling on her face.

"There she is!"

Cloud looked over his shoulder to see a small group of residents making their way through the alley, shouting and throwing more rocks. "They brought in the calvary."

And soon they were tripping over each other, shouting and screaming as the specter of death came closer, scythe in hand and bringing the chill of the grave with him. Cloud watched as they ran and pleaded to Leviathan for their safety and that of their town. He glanced Tifa, who looked positively embarrassed. _"Are you alright?"_

With a huff she nodded. "Thank you," she said as her fingers came to twirl a lock of her dark hair. Her eyes looked away. "I shouldn't have..."

"Don't worry about it." He scanned behind him one more time, then came closer to Tifa. _Terra said to let them in, let her in._ It was a final request by her, for him to move on from the past."...I shouldn't have been so cold," he said with not a little awkwardness.

Tifa's eyes brightened at his small confession. "It's alright. I didn't mean to touch a sore spot." She crossed her arms and looked about the alley. "I guess we can't rent a car now."

Cloud shook his head. "Nah. I think we made enough of a ruckus that this's gonna get investigated soon."

She let out a tired groan. "Are you sure you can't teleport us both to Wutai?"

A blush overcame his cheeks, and he hoped the alley was too dark for her to really notice. "I...could." He paused, swallowing. "For you. You're my Esper, so..."

Tifa gave him a sharp look. "Wait a second, why didn't you do this before?!"

He looked away, trying to hide the color in his cheeks. "Because...I don't think you wanna get...that...close to me."

Her face softened at the revelation, and she cocked her head in curiosity. "How close?"

"Touching. More than just your hand," he corrected.

"Oh." She walked closer to him, filling the gap between them. "Well...you held me before, and...we're friends, so it's not a big deal."

Cloud's lips twitched. They were friends. He had friends again. And for the first time in a long while, it made him feel happy and not trepidatious. "...You're right."

Slowly and almost reverently, he held her in his arms. _Is she smiling into my chest?_ He made sure she was snug against him. "Hold on."

He felt her squeeze his back before teleporting them miles upon miles away, on the outskirts of a modern city. When she finally released he heard her gasp in amazement at the sight of it all. "Wow!"

It was quite the unique city, in Cloud's opinion at least. Modern skyscrapers mingled with shrines and temples hiding in wooded groves, and the streets were crowded with pedestrians, vehicles and food merchants. There was the scent of asphalt, cooking grease, and the faintest hint of incense and trees and the nearby ocean.

He looked at Tifa, who seemed absolutely spellbound by the sight of it all. He nudged her gently, catching her attention. "We should probably be off to the temple."

It seemed she finally remembered she wasn't here on a vacation, and her enthusiasm dimmed. "Right."

"Hm." In the distance he saw a street vendor, serving taiyaki, a fried batter sweet in the shape of a fish. _To hell with it._ "We need to keep our strength up, though. I think we can afford to get a quick bite to eat."

When he went to see her reaction, she was smiling at him, and he couldn't help but to do the same. Cloud took her hand in his and they disappeared into the sea of foot traffic, allowing themselves a few moments of joy that reminded them both of the autumn festival before the storm that they would brave very shortly.


	18. Interrogation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to Marle_Nadia for beta and suggestions, and for making a cover for the FF.net version! :D

"Hear crimson falcon, whose watch over the flow of life is eternal. She who brings light to the darkest night, She who rebirths the dead every morning. Phoenix, carry the sleeping Goddess upon your back, and protect our realm from the darkness."

Genesis, to Angeal's growing agitation, had not stopped quoting psalms from his worn leather book since they had taken them into the Room of Judgement, a place set aside in the temple to judge heretics. The church, as both knew, was not one to prosecute mundane affairs; that was left to secular governments. But those of the church, the priests, Espers and any within an oath bound servitude were prosecuted in Alexander's temple.

It was not without benefit to the law of the land, however. With this division the church still would assist in confessions with the use of Alexander's Espers or His high priest. Angeal had been present at such a confession once, observing with interest as questions were asked and then forcibly answered. He had been wondering since he had been seated on the simple wooden chair that he rested upon, how their judges would react to their confession.

"Genesis," Angeal groused as he looked at a pillar of white marble, "would you stop?"

The red-head finished his psalm before turning his head and answering his friend and lover. "Are you not devout?"

"What kind of stupid question is that?!" Angeal demanded as he looked Genesis in the eye. "By the grace of Alexander, we will get out of here."

Genesis' lips quirked, and he turned his attention to the three stately podiums, made of marble, dark wood and purple velvet, that were reserved for whomever would be their judges. "If they ask the right questions."

Angeal rolled his eyes. He loved Genesis, and they had been together for the last ten years. But, he knew, his spouse was melodramatic when it wasn't called for. "Alexander demands the church to seek the truth."

"Do you think they will even believe the truth as it is forced out of our mouths?" Genesis tested.

The ebon-haired man slowly inhaled as he leaned into the back of the chair, his hands bound behind it. "...I admit I would be skeptical, even if it came from someone being compelled."

"Mm. What if they disregard it?"

Angeal shook his head. "They might believe our motives pure instead. Then, we will not be traitors."

"So long as they do something about Yazoo before he is unsealed. I suppose that is all that matters...right?" He turned to study Angeal, the slightly older man's strong jaw tight with determination.

"It is."

Angeal sighed and looked up towards the high ceiling, dressed in warm yellow glass and wood beams. There had been a chance of capture, but he would have expected it later, when they were in Junon, not on the ferry there. But, somehow they had been found out, and those two Espers had done what...he would have done in that position. His fate was in the hands of the church. _May Alexander watch over this trial._

Not long after came the sound of an old, large wooden door creaking open in front of them, and they were soon greeted to the stoic faces of their judges, and the high priest of Alexander himself. He held a grim countenance that changed to shame as his dark eyes fell on Angeal.

The high priest held a scepter of gold with glittering crystals that almost looked as if they were shining light and not merely reflecting it. The sleeve of his ivory, gold embossed robes danced with the movements of his arm as he sanctified the space in the shape of a circle. A pale light rimmed the circle as it glowed a light honey amber under them, and Angeal and Genesis felt their voice boxes constrict. The high priest left the circle, and stood by a pillar near the judges. "It is done."

Three judges sat and regarded the two accused. The high priest called out their names. "Today, Angeal Hewley and Genesis Rhapsodos, you shall be interrogated by these esteemed judges, brought here today to mete out justice.

"Metropolitian Bes." A short, elderly man with soft features nodded curtly. He wore traditional white robes like the other two, and thick rimmed glasses, and a thick white mustache covered his upper lip. His skin was a light tan, and his eyes a dark blue.

"Metropolitian Chol." The woman barely moved her chin upward. Her hair was a rich crimson and her eyes a hue of indigo that reminded Angeal and Genesis of Zack's. Chol looked to be not much older than them, her angled features giving her a youthful appearance.

"Metropolitian Uzal." This man gave no nod, just an observant stare with his rich green eyes. They had seen him on the ship after they had been captured by their fellow Espers.

"The interrogation shall begin. May Alexander let the truth be known," said the high priest. "Metropolitian Uzal, you have the opening question."

"My thanks, Everet." Uzal looked at them one at a time, seemingly formulating his question. The two could possibly have a chance, they both thought, if they asked if they worked for Sephiroth. It was dashed an instant later. "You two Espers, are you working with the god of the dead?"

"...Yes," they simultaneously said as their hearts dropped.

The judges looked between each other, Bes showing an upset that spoke of earlier denial of the charges. He shook his head at Angeal. "How? How could an Esper of Alexander, the god of truth and justice, ally with such a deity?"

Compelled, Angeal weakly shrugged his shoulders. "Out of necessity."

Chol turned to Genesis. "Were you coming to Junon for Yazoo?"

"Yes," Genesis replied through gritted teeth.

"So, you oath breakers came here, after releasing pestilence, to bring madness to this world. You, who tainted a young Esper with promises of power. Did you think you would get away with your plans?" Uzal asked with an almost spiteful tone.

Genesis sighed in defeat. "...I was doubtful."

"Is it true that Sephiroth searches for the spear?" Bes looked over his glasses at Angeal.

"...I do not know."

Chol looks thoughtful at his answer, then looked at Genesis, the Esper disheartened. "Genesis."

"Yes, Metropolitian?"

She tilted her head. "Have you lost faith in Phoenix?"

He shook his head, a sad smile on his face. "I could walk through the pit that held Abyssion himself and still have faith that the day begins anew with Phoenix's blessing." He would have said it the same without the spell compelling him; it was a truth he would share with almost any who asked.

"But you work for the traitor god! Even now, your actions have led to out of control plagues in the towns and villages beyond Nibelheim." Uzal motioned towards the high priest. "The witness I told you about, please."

"A witness, Uzal?" Chol raised a brow as Everet left the room. "A witness to what?"

He pointed at the two Espers. "The evil these two have been up to."

"Well," Bes drawled out, "we already know they work with the god of the dead, but go on."

A minute passed by, leaving Genesis and Angeal bewildered and wondering who the witness could possibly be. Or, for that matter, what they had possibly done besides eat at a questionable diner in front of whomever was to speak ill of them. All too soon, the high priest returned, guiding a small boy by the hand. He released him and gave him a pat on the back, then nodded towards Uzal.

Uzal waved his hand at the brown haired child. "He is the only survivor we could find in Nibelheim, days after the incident. A miracle of the gods!"

The child shyly looked their way, then cowered at Angeal and Genesis. "T-those two killed my family! Everyone is dead because of them! They helped the monster in the black robes!"

Try as they might, Genesis and Angeal could not speak without being addressed or asked a question. A feeling of dread came over them; who was this child, and why was he lying? Where did Uzal find him?

Bes was stunned and appalled at the revelation, and he slammed his open palm on the wood of his podium. "Then, we have no choice but to condemn you, traitors to creation!"

"You will be taken to Odin's Cliff, where your crimes will be spoken of to the gods, and there they may smite you down," Uzal announced.

 _Odin's Cliff._ Overlooking both Junon and Midgar in the distance, it rose far above the plains, at the edge of the mountain chain that was the spine of the continent. For ages, the cliff was a place where the most severe gods were called to punish the evilest of mortals. It was supposedly littered with charred bones and ancient iron pikes. Angeal and Genesis could feel their hearts sinking; they would not be given an appeal!

"Let's not be too hasty." Chol held up a hand, a brow raised as she looked at her fellow judges. "I, too, have found a witness."

From behind her podium appeared a young woman with wavy blonde hair in a ponytail and kind, pale blue eyes. She wore an old fashioned red dress and pink lace sash ensemble. She was smiling serenely at them. "I don't know these two, but I do know the god of death…" She walked a few steps closer to the two, the toes peeking out of her brown sandals grazing the truth spell. "He helped free me from Sephiroth, the god of the Abyss. I am part of Creation again."

Uzal glowered her way, his vivid eyes narrowing. "Who is this?"

She turned towards him and nodded. "I am Terra. I was from Nibelheim."

The little boy shook his head furiously and pointed at her. "Y-you're a bad person! You killed my neighbors!"

Chol let out a short laugh. "What a silly thing to say! She returned to us not that long ago." She stood up from her podium.

Uzal curled his fingers into fists, then pointed at the child. "The boy says your 'witness' is a murderer as well, Chol. What say you?"

She strode towards Genesis, and cupped his cheek in her hand. Her eyes captivated him in a way no woman ever could, and he would have felt rather confused if he wasn't lost in the moment. "Even with death all around you, you have not forsaken Phoenix?"

Almost imperceptibly, he shook his head. "She will rebirth life anew."

"Chol," Bes asked with an impatient edge to his voice, "from where did you get your witness?"

Chol turned around. "She came to me, actually. Terra is a very old soul, you see. She had been ripped from the bosom of Life because of Sephiroth, but now, she can return to the cycle." She gestured towards the blonde, who stood quietly in front of the spectators as the boy continued to cower. "But before she is to be reborn, I asked to exchange favors with her."

Uzal violently shook his head. "You speak nonsense! Do you work with Death, too?!"

"Of _course_ I do."

Genesis felt his heart leap into his throat, and his eyes welled. He wished to speak, to cry out, but the spell would not allow him. Of all the things that had befallen him as of late, he never thought his luck would turn with a gift from the goddess. Instead, he sat there in rapturous silence as he felt his bindings fall away from his wrists.

The high priest looked about, stunned and confused. "What is happening here?"

"A trial, high priest." Chol pointed at Uzal. "But it was for him, and not these two devout ones."

Fists slammed against the podium, Uzal stood up with a grimace. "You dare judge me, and not those two traitors? On whose authority?!"

"Mine."

Bes looked between them. "Chol, none of us have authority other another," he nervously reminded her.

"I have the highest authority in this room, Bes." All of a sudden, a chorus of bird-song erupted from out of nowhere, bringing the calls of ibis and cranes to the room. Where Chol had stood, an enormous and radiant bird of vibrant red feathers and rainbow plumed wings and tail waited, its long neck stretched to rise above those present.

Her eyes were like the summer's twilight and dawn in spring, and her golden beak curved elegantly at its end, and her head was crowned with a crest of iridescent feathers. Legs scaled gold with three rose colored claws on each foot slowly strode towards the podiums. _"I am the dawn after the long night."_

Her head swiveled to make eye contact with Genesis, the Esper absolutely spellbound. _"Do not fret, beloved, for I, Phoenix, am with you!"_

"You damnable sister of the Master! You cannot stop that which is outside the cycle!" Uzal was pointing at Phoenix defiantly as he spoke, then turned towards the child witness. "To me!"

The little boy screeched and scratched at himself, but no blood came forth, only darkness and wings. An obsidian, gargoyle-like demon with blank green eyes grew out of the disguise, then charged towards Uzal as Bes shouted in surprise and disgust. Its whip-like tail struck his cheek, and he fell from his seat.

Phoenix released a short breath of holy flame, scorching Uzal's handsome features and partially dissolving a shoulder of the demon. It roared, then ran off towards the door with Uzal held in its arm. The door splintered as it escaped, leaving behind the sound of Uzal crying out in pain and the surprised shouts of any in the demon's path.

High priest Everet went to Bes' aid as the traitor escaped, leaving behind the scent of burnt wood and flesh. Phoenix stood staring where Uzal and the demon had been, then turned gracefully to look at the now freed Espers. Her eyes softened, but stayed resolute.

 _"I wish I could have done more, but it would not be prudent to burn the temple down."_ She bowed her head slowly. _"He is marked by my flames, and we will head them off at Yazoo's seal._

_"Genesis, you have never wavered in your faith in me, even when Cloud asked such a task be done. You chose the path of righteousness, not the path of dogma."_

Genesis immediately bowed. "Of all my years with the church, I would think to meet Your Grace only in dreams or the hereafter. No matter if I am to die today, I will die content."

Phoenix seemed to smile, then brought her wing over him. The primary feathers were as crimson as her body, but the rest were a rainbow of vivid colors. _"Rise, beloved, and open your hand."_

He did so, almost childlike as the god he was devoted to hovered a wing above him, creating a special space for them both. When he looked up, her beak was holding something that she dropped into his palm. Genesis studied it, then gasped.

It was a new relic, in the form of a golden bird nestling an orb that revealed a rainbow of colors and faintly glowed a pure white. It was light, yet heavy with power. _This is no ordinary relic._ "I…" Genesis swallowed hard. "To be given such a treasure…"

" _It was earned, beloved."_ After allowing Genesis a few moments, Phoenix lifted her wing away and looked at Angeal. _"You have come to request Alexander's assistance? You shall have the power of two deities in this dark time."_

Angeal was speechless himself. Certainly he had traveled with a god, but there was a down to earth element to Cloud that escaped the lofty goddess in front of him. He simply nodded; what else could he do? For a second time, they had been saved by a deity.

"Ah...Phoenix, Queen of the Dawn! You had been Chol the whole time?" It was Bes. His injury still wept, but he was alert, if bewildered.

Her gaze turned to him, and she gracefully walked towards the metropolitian, healing his wound with a brush of her feathers. _"Corruption runs deep, but We are so busy, looking for Mother or upholding the world. But I made do with what time I had to watch what I could, prevent what could be prevented. Uzal follows Yazoo the Madness, and he must be stopped before he unleashes that one, for Sephiroth's power will grow."_

She looked towards Everet. _"Summon Alexander, high priest, so that He may protect His favored city from evil."_

And just like that, Phoenix was Chol again, and she walked towards Terra, the young woman standing nearby as everything occured around her. Chol placed her hands on top of Terra's, and calmly looked into her eyes. "You have been through so much, and now, it is time for you to rest underneath my wings."

Terra nodded, a faint, bittersweet smile on her face. "Thank you, Phoenix. I've waited so long…"

And with a small sigh, Terra faded into a white light that merged with the goddess. Chol turned again to the Espers, and nodded firmly. "The battle to save Junon has begun. We will purge the darkness from the city, and from the church."

"I'm afraid I'm of little use without my relic," Angeal reminded the goddess. It was all well and good that Genesis had been bequeathed an item that

Chol smiled at him. "That is in the hands of Alexander now. We must act soon, for a feel the armies of darkness rising."

"They have revealed their hand, and now they must be routed." Genesis put his hands on his hips, haughty and proud as Angeal remembered him. The red-head glanced towards his partner with a smirk. "I'm certain to get a higher count than you today."

Angeal barely recognized the sound of himself laughing roughly, low like a cough at first that became more like a roar. After everything that had just happened, after all they had just gone through, he was laughing at the situation and how they were possibly doomed, regardless of how hard they fought. "We'll see about that. I have a lot of pent up frustrations."

"Hm. Indeed we both do," Genesis said quietly.

Looking towards the broken door and the chaos left in Uzal's wake, they began to stride out of the room. Their intentions had been laid bare by a goddess that stood behind them, a goddess that was here to see Yazoo stay imprisoned. Whether or not they failed this day, they would make the enemy remember their names for eternity.


	19. Fight For Junon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayyyy finally done this shitty chapter. Not entirely happy with it but it'll do.
> 
> Thanks again to MarleNadia for beta and suggestions!

Looking out upon the plains beyond the seaside city of Junon while upon chocobos, Genesis and Angeal stole a moment for themselves before the fateful battle whose failure would be a terrible blow to the world. They were so close that their legs were touching, Genesis’ right to Angeal’s left, hands held as they stared at what lay beyond. It was a moment of peace that they could savor together, something that they hadn’t been able to do in what felt like ages.

“Who would have thought,” Angeal began,” that things would end up like this?”   
  
Genesis shrugged, leaning into Angeal as his chocobo was nudged closer. “A week ago we were chasing a necromancer. Now, we will hurl ourselves into the abyss.” His blue eyes looked up. “With the assistance of Phoenix, no less.”

A dark brow quirked up. “Losing faith already?”

The redhead tsked at his teasing as his head rested on his partner’s shoulder. “It is as great as it ever has been.” His free hand fingered the new relic he had been given a short while ago. A power, great and beautiful, pulsed within.   


Angeal chuckled as he went back to looking over the plains, purple mountains far in the distance shielding the lands beyond from what was to happen, at least temporarily. For miles all that could be seen were green fields, farms, small hamlets and the Ghost River, an ephemeral river that flowed during wet years. It was mostly dry now, but the twinkle of reflected sunlight from ponds of water caught the two’s eyes.

When was the last time they shared such a moment outside the city? “Remember when we first began to date?”

Genesis nodded, still gazing at the horizon. “The Ghost River swelled that year. We camped above its banks and watched fireflies, of all things.” A nostalgic sigh came out of his mouth. “You brought me a handful of pearl lilies you snatched from the edge of the waters.”

A hand crept onto the redhead’s shoulder. “Spontaneity isn’t one of my strengths, I’ll admit.”

“I enjoyed them, didn’t I?”

“You dried them when you got home, if I remember correctly.”

“I did.” Genesis licked his lips. “I hold no delusions. This is probably a suicide mission. But…” He slowly inhaled, savoring the spice of grass and herbs that came in with the wind. “I have no regrets. I am here with you, just as Phoenix is with me.”

Angeal laughed a little. Genesis had always been particularly devout towards his goddess, and on occasion he had wondered if he should be jealous of his affections towards Her. “That’s good to hear. And I don’t regret being here with you.” He became quiet for a minute, his eyes searching the feathers of his grayish-white chocobo. “My regrets lie with Zack.”

Genesis lifted his head and steadied himself on his bird. “Oh?”

The dark haired Esper nodded solemnly. “I regret not being able to prepare him for Judgement Day.”

“Hm. No one could have foreseen this happening. He is as prepared as we are.” A smirk graced his lips. “If Nibelheim wasn’t a good enough example of that.”

Angeal shrugged. “He’s a pup being thrown into the world too soon.”   
  
“He’s not alone, and...neither are we.”

He looked Genesis up and down, then nodded again. “Together we fight the encroaching darkness.”

There was a kiss on his cheek and the tickle of breath on his ear. “Together, as always.”

Angeal squeezed the hand he still held, then leaned towards his partner for a more proper kiss. It felt like it had been ages since he could relax into Genesis, though it had only been since Costa del Sol. He avoided thinking further on it, as it would only remind him that the both of them hadn’t slept well since, only a few hours of fitful rest before their farcical trial. He wanted to enjoy this moment.

“Ahem.”

The two quickly parted to see Cissnei observing them while sitting on a yellow chocobo. She looked slightly amused, though the glimmer of guilt still kept to her eyes. They had already told her she was forgiven for the debacle on the ferry; they would have done no different if their roles had been reversed.

Would the information get out in time, that the god of death was rallying for Creation?

“Cissnei,” Genesis lightly scolded. He straightened himself upon his chocobo, his cheeks sporting a light blush. Angeal forced down his smile.   


The cinnamon-haired Esper bowed at them. “We’re ready to go, sirs.”

“Good.”  _ But for a few more minutes!  _ Angeal picked up the leather reins of his steed. “It’s time we brought justice to those traitors.”

“Indeed,” Genesis concurred as he readied his chocobo for the short journey and long battle ahead. The birds would fare them better than a vehicle; they would have to be able to move over troublesome terrain. “Finally, we can fight some actual evil-doers.”

“I know how much you love that.” The two followed Cissnei out and into the plains, Ganso catching up to them soon after. Phoenix, they knew, would meet with them soon. She had business in the church, and that was all She needed to say to them, the goddess possibly protecting and routing out any evil as preparations continued for the summoning of Alexander.   


It was a funny thought to Angeal, as they trotted through silky, jade grass and milky flowers that gave the local bees a final measure of nectar before the winter. Gods always seemed so distant, coming to mortals in visions and dreams to choose mortals and task with geas, the proof of their existence within the relics granted to the worthy. But in the span of a week they had met not one, but two gods, and soon they would witness the power of a third.    
  
Some deities, it seemed, liked to watch over the mortal world when their duties were light, instead of searching for Minerva. Where would they search for a mother goddess, he wondered, especially since the world should have been combed over a hundred times over? It was beyond his imagining, Angeal knew that. The gods had their ways, separate from mankind.    


Soon, their destination came into view: there was a dark smudge far in the distance, beyond the dried up river. In better times it wouldn’t have been so visible until one was much closer; they had all been to the seal at one time or another. Remembered as a slate rock with a flat, polished side that held a seal written upon it in what was called Minerva’s Tongue, the complex and intricate runes very duly glowed red on pitch black nights.

Always did the seal have a feeling of unease about it, as if the spell holding the god was warning mortals to leave the vicinity. Supposedly it was, as Carbuncle could seal away all but a sliver of the three gods’ influence. Whatever magic was used, it couldn’t keep them from occasionally seeping into the realm of mortals, their dark nightmares becoming reality to any poor locals.

Of course, some had to come under the sway of evil gods that would whisper lies about power. But how could the church become so complacent to allow cultists among their ranks? As they searched for a supposed necromancer in Nibelheim, were there evil rites being done by church hierarchy? Angeal barely wanted to think about such a thing ruining one of the pillars in his life, but it always nagged at him.

As they came to the river’s edge they noticed the wilting, white flowers that marked the shallow bank. A fine silt covered the exposed riverbed, pools of water resting in the middle and a few dragonflies skirting the ground. It was deceptively serene.

Crossing through the river and then a paved road, the group passed by a farmstead, the corn almost completely harvested. It was the last one before they reached the rock seal; the grasslands near it had been traditionally used as grazing land to keep mortals from settling too close. A young teen was watching from the wood board fence that separated the field from the dirt service road the Espers were using. Angeal slowed down and brought his chocobo near, his blue eyes appraising the child with a stern expression.

“It’s short notice, but I think your family should evacuate your farm.” Granted there should be a call to the rural folk soon, despite them being so far from the seal, but Angeal felt he should at least say something.   
  
The red haired boy played pulled up his jeans a little. “Why, sir? What’s goin’ on?”

“Trouble at the seal,” he replied while pointing in its direction. “If anything were to happen, we aren’t sure what would become of your farm.”

“I dunno how my dad’ll take it,” the boy said as he shook his head. “We gotta do this harvest before it gets too cold, y’know.”

“The battle ahead may destroy your farm.” Genesis’s chocobo was waltzing over slowly. “You surely wouldn’t want to be in the crosshairs of this war.”

The young teen nodded sheepishly, his eyes darting around at the Espers. “B-but what’re you fightin’ that’s that bad?”

“The legends about Sephiroth are true.” Genesis pointed behind the farmboy, towards his father, who had stopped harvesting to take a gander at the strangers talking to his son. “Leave, while you can, for this day will see gods fighting gods.”

There was a pregnant pause. Angeal gave a sharp glare to Genesis, then his eyes went back to the young farmer, who looked taken aback. “That’s the jist of it,” he dryly commented.

“Alright then. Well, I’m gonna tell my pops.” He began to take off, then turned around quickly, giving a wave to the Espers. “Er, good luck!”

Angeal wryly looked Genesis’ way as they began their journey again. “I think your dramatic flair went over his head.”

Genesis shrugged and looked forward. “It was in plain, spoken word.”

“I wouldn’t say plain,” Cissnei teased quietly. Ganso stifled a small chuckle.

They returned to their usual trot, and soon they began to see and feel the effects of a weakening seal. It was subtle at first, with a bit of ground here or there spotted with browning grass that wasn’t just because of the change in seasons. The air slowly became stiller and heavier as they came closer and closer.

Angeal had felt this before, during the times he visited any of the three seals. There was always a feeling of wrongness around them, and any life trying to etch out an existence too close by was deformed by the dangerous power lurking within a magical prison. But the effects were much further out now, and so suddenly, it was as if a leak in the seal had been allowed to fester for a very long time.

But of course it hadn’t. They had visited the accursed place just this summer.

“Careful, now. They’re up ahead.”

The small human forces didn’t look particularly imposing, but their allies on the other hand, did. Beings that hadn’t been seen in centuries except for a rogue agent only whispered of in quests where some Espers almost went mad from despair. The dark beings that were born from Abyssion, demons that consumed creation. Some were exactly the same as the impish beings that massacred Nibelheim, but there were more imposing creatures among them, a sign that their enemies had grown in strength since then.

Coming close to the seal, Angeal charged to the front of the group, readying a holy spell. Cultists or demons, it didn’t matter, they would feel the burn of Alexander’s light. A few came to meet them head on, the mortal messengers of destruction blasted apart and the demons torn to shadows that reformed easily.

“I think it is my turn.” Genesis ruptured the demonic front with a bout of flame greater than Angeal had ever seen before from his partner, the magic disintegrating their bodies like thin paper. The red-head smirked, then charged further into the growing fray.   


Angeal frowned while urging his steed to catch up. “Would you stay with the group?!”

A rush of flame engulfed a charging monster. “I will cut a swath through the enemy for us, do not worry!”

Cissnei couldn’t help but worry as a Behemoth-sized monstrosity appeared from thin air. “Watch out!”

The heavy breeze she summoned saved Genesis’ face, but did nothing for his chocobo, the bird taking a direct hit from ebony claws that tore through it like confetti. The rider fell to the ground as his dead steed twitched and shuddered, the last vestiges of life fading from its flesh. Genesis pulled his leg out from under the corpse as the demon went to finish its job, roaring and arching its claws towards him.

Ganso came between them, releasing a powerful barrier that forced back the demon’s attack. It screeched, then banged its armored head against the ruby magic protecting the group as they dismounted their chocobos, allowing them the freedom to run away if they could. The barrier enveloped the four, but they were surrounded, and at a stalemate.

The demon continued to smash its head into it, and bright little cracks began to form, as if it were made of thick glass.

“What’s the plan, now?!” Ganso asked as he continued to pour magic into their only form of protection from the monsters attempting to breach the barrier. “I can’t hold this forever!”

Genesis held flames in both his hands. “We burn them to cinders, of course.”

“Easier said than done,” Angeal quipped.

“We aren’t alone, love.”

A hole appeared in the ruby barrier, then a large piece was torn away to dissolve into the aether. Genesis hit the demon through the hole with fire, but unlike the first wave of creatures, this one was actually resisting the attack. What was worse, there were more closing in on their location.   


Ganso forced the spell to close up, stretching ruby light over the cracks. The blond shuddered a breath as he threw his will behind it, attempting to buy them some time. “...I...I can’t hold it…”   
  
“You have to, Ganso!” Cissnei was clutching her relic, readying for the inevitable.

Angeal formed a holy circle around them, but the shadowy monsters simply flickered and solidified, eclipsing the power bequeathed to him. “When the barrier breaks, attack with all you’ve got!”

There was a humming sound that grew more intense, making their eyes water, and then the safe, red glow shattered around them. Weapons appeared, swords, rapiers, staffs and shields, all against the wave of darkness threatening their not only their bodies, but their souls with oblivion. It was a fight for their lives.

One that they might lose.

More and more demons were crowding the area, and they had only destroyed a few weaker imps and frail cultists. The ones that looked like humanoid dragons, the ones that looked like a thawed out corpse left in the sun too long, they simply continued on fighting. When it looked as if the demons would over run them, Genesis began to focus again on his relic, a thrum felt in the very air as his hand stretched above them. White light accumulated on his palm, and he closed his hand tight before slamming it into the ground.

There was a wave of rainbow light and fire that rippled like a pond disturbed by a pebble. The scrapes and cuts of his allies knitted up and they were filled with renewed vigor, while the tsunami of holy flame tore through the evil darkness surrounding them. It was a reprieve, a second wind that hadn’t come a moment too soon.

But was short lived as more demons appeared, wearing down the Espers. A nip here, a slice there, and they would all die a death of a thousand cuts. Ganso sliced into a cultist’s chest with the sharp edge of his shield, while Cissnei knocked back a monster with the end of her staff, shooting off a gust of wind to confuse their assailants further.

Angeal could only send them crashing into each other with the flat of his blade so many times before he became too tired to do so. Genesis wavered, though he never stopped gushing out fire like a glowing fountain. The battle was wearing on the light of their souls more than their bodies, and once it was snuffed out, they were done for, that they knew.

Before all hope was lost, they had to keep moving. They had to keep fighting.

The music of many birds and wings came from the east, and then there was light and heat that made the four close their eyes. A melodic cry arched over them, and they looked up to see Phoenix and her host, the former Espers an army of large and colorful birds with long and flowing tails. They were cutting a path through the demons for the Espers.

Angeal once again took the lead as they headed towards the stone seal. Phoenix’s host warred against the demons, causing the air to glow with their sacred light like the gold of the dawn. Once they finally made it to the seal, Phoenix greeted them with an elegant bob of her divine head.  _ “I apologize for being a little late, love.” _

“There’s nothing wrong with being fashionably late, O guest of honor.”

They turned towards the stone to see a silver haired man leaning against it, lithe in body with glittering emerald eyes and an evil smirk. There was some aura around him, the faintest whiff of which made Angeal feel just a little unwell. The bird goddess raised her multihued wings threateningly at him.  _ “Kadaj!” _

He mockingly bowed. “Phoenix.” The smirk never left his lips. “I come bearing a gift. I left one at the footsteps of Cosmo Canyon, and my brother would appreciate one as well once he’s awake.”   


_ “A creature like you should never be mistaken for a god,” _ Phoenix menaced as she stalked the grass in a semicircle around him, the goddess agitated to no end at the sight of the deity.  _ “One finger dipped in Creation does not make you one of us!”   
_

Kadaj laughed lightly at the enraged goddess. “I was never meant to be like your kind. I was brought about for a  _ higher _ purpose.”

Phoenix let loose her flaming breath at the dark god, almost blinding those in attendance, man and demon alike. As it faded, there was a path of blooming flowers from the dead earth that led to where Kadaj should be standing. Instead of the unsettling man that mocked a goddess, there was plague in all its glory readying for a fight.

He took the form of a large, humanoid, decaying rat, the eyes sockets with a green light that lazily wept out. Rib bones protruded from pocked and hairless skin, greying with decay. His form caused any mortal in the area to feel unwell, as if he had infected the air with plague. He chittered at the colorful bird, then charged at her.

Phoenix flapped her wings and leapt into the air, gracefully arcing and kicking at Kadaj’s backside. He twisted around to swipe at her with filthy claws, only to have renewing flames burn his face.  _ “You are nothing to a true god!” _ Phoenix announced before pecking at him.

He kicked and struggled as the bird goddess continued her onslaught against him, the rush of life energies violently invading him and weakening his power. Just as it had been with Ifrit, turning him into a seed of evil that had to be kept from blooming again. Phoenix would see to that.

Until pain erupted on her back.

The Espers, still fighting back stragglers, turned to see the bright golden blood of the goddess arc in the air, where a great darkness drained the life from its immediate area. There was another silver haired man, taller, with a blade longer than himself.   


He gently landed on the ground as Phoenix turned, limping, to see her assaulter. Her violet eyes widened in what could only be described as horror.  _ “Sephiroth!” _

“Good day, Phoenix.” He pointed his bloodied sword towards the seal, the stone trembling now. “I take it you’ve forgotten our old relationship?” The question came out a mocking chuckle.

_ “You traitor to our Mother! How dare you bring up things dead and forgotten!” _ She came closer to him, trying but failing to not show physical weakness as her cut bled.  _ “You are nothing.” _

“I beg to differ, Lady of the Dawn.” The rock was cracking from stress and pressure, but from where was unknown. Kadaj, beaten but smiling triumphantly, stood behind him and to his side. “I am more than I was serving Mother. Soon, I will be greater than She.”

Sephiroth looked at the seal, then with one smooth motion split it vertically, sending dark pebbles in all directions. They hit all in attendance, even knocking a few demons and holy birds out of the sky as they fought. There was a deafening silence as the dust settled; another silver haired man stood where the seal had been, emerald eyes belying insanity.

He bowed deep at Sephiroth, who nodded in exchange. “I, Yazoo the Madness, am free again!”

“Hmph.” Sephiroth turned towards Phoenix again. “And now, there’s just one last seal to remove before the whole of Creation is mine.”

“Urgh…” Angeal held his head in his hand as queasiness and a strange scratching at the back of his mind began. He opened his eyes to look towards Junon. Pearl colored wings that grazed the clouds caught his attention first, then the living silver fortress it was connected to. A light, bright as the Sun, grew on its crown.   
  
“Alexander…” His god had come to save them. One way or another, they would be saved.

Phoenix let loose her song, momentarily relieving the Espers of their illnesses and causing Yazoo and Kadaj to recoil and cover their ears.  _ “The Dawn comes at the darkest hour!” _

Sephiroth merely scoffed in amusement at her declaration. “Today was the last dawn Creation will see. Today, the dawn belongs to me.”

The bird goddess charged at him, all flames and golden light. When her aura clashed against Sephiroth’s, a deafening clap of thunder sounded and threw every fighter away from the two combatants and flinging the suffering Espers to the dead earth. Phoenix slashed and pecked, and Sephiroth parried and dodged.

One of her claws went straight for his face, and it seemed to be too late for him to move out of the way. Instead, Sephiroth phased through her attack, then brought up his sword and thrusted it clean into her chest. Her cry was caught in her throat as she was held up by the impossibly strong blade, rivulets of her shining blood running down the silver of his sword, coating the earth with life as it dribbled towards it. “The Cycle is over,” he declared triumphantly.

Phoenix’s body fluttered and struggled for a few moments more, then went still. Then, her vibrantly colored body dulled to grey, her essence rising like the smoke of a wet funeral pyre. The only sound was that of Genesis’ guttural scream as his goddess disappeared forever, and the mournful cries of her host as they slowly joined her.

Angeal tried to reach out for Genesis, just maybe, he hoped, he could give some comfort. Or maybe he would stuff his mouth full of dirt, that seemed like a good idea. Or was it? No, no. That was madness. But Genesis didn’t look so good, with buboes forming on his throat as he tore at his hair. What was he doing here, anyway?

It didn’t matter. There was a bright light behind the red head, growing brighter and larger. And then it was over them all, the blinding burn of holiest light.


End file.
